Strange Scales
by NemmaStar
Summary: Post-eclipse. Mere weeks before the wedding, Bella disappears. With vampires, werewolves and humans to blame, no one thinks to look to the more sinister monsters lurking just off shore. As Bella is thrown into a frightening new world, Edward and Jacob must put aside their differences to save the girl they both love. But will they be too late? *Author Award Shortlistee*
1. Chapter 1 - Bella

**This is my first Fan fiction. Thank you for taking the time to read. Please review and let me know if you would like me to continue with this story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful world of twilight.**

**Enjoy, **

**Nemma**

….

Prologue

"Hey Jon, get over here and check this out, it's freaking crazy man!"

Dave chuckled, as he continued to prod the defenceless hermit crab with a stick. The little creature had taken residence in a Rainier's beer can and was happily scuttling across the rocky shore. Happily that was, until Dave intervened. Now it danced in panicky lines for his amusement.

"Stupid crab," he said, while the sky overhead darkened with rain.

The beaches around Port Angeles were nothing short of beak this time of year – a far cry from the sunny shores of the Californian coastline – but hell, they had their uses. Like this secluded spot, it provided an excellent safe haven for underage drinking. And despite the fact that the shore was littered with masses of beer cans and cigarette butts on a near permanent basis, cops still didn't check the area out.

Dave and his mate Jon were regulars here. _Here_ they didn't get kicked out for using fake IDs, _here_ their moms didn't hassle them, _here_ they could wander the shore uninterrupted and completely and blissfully pissed.

Dave chuckled again. It wasn't that funny – a hermit crab in a beer can – but he'd drank so much at this point that anything was amusing.

The rain, which had previously been nothing more than light drizzle, began to pick up and Dave's hair was rapidly becoming plastered to his face. He didn't notice or care. His position, perched on a rocky outcrop overhanging the sea, was precariously close the dark, deep water beside him, but again, he just didn't care.

Swigging another gulp he continued his merciless taunting.

The crab fell off the rock in fright and rolled onto its back, its legs kicking uselessly in the air. He chuckled at the sight, and jumped as another giggle echoed behind him. _That laugh wasn't Jon's_. Spinning around, he found that he was not alone.

Her laughter was like the chiming of bells, delicate and alluring.

"Whoa," he murmured, the can slipping from his grasp to clatter on rocks.

The sound echoed in the vacant air as he stared at the girl before him. Pale hair framed an exquisite heart-shaped face and hung in silvery sheets around her bare shoulders where she hovered in the pool's edge. The girl was young, maybe sixteen or seventeen, and floated with her arms folded over a large rock, completely at ease. Dave's heart picked up; setting a frantic new pace it thudded against the wall of his chest, reaching out to her. Only her head, shoulders and arms were visible, the rest of her concealed by the murky water. _Aphrodite_, she could have been Aphrodite herself, descended from Mount Olympus to grace the mortals with her presence. Where had this Sea-Goddess come from?

At that moment he didn't care, as long as she was here nothing else mattered. She was the epitome of beauty and his eyes greedily drank her in.

"You're gorgeous," he said.

His words, though kindly meant, seemed somehow… insufficient.

No matter though, the girl beamed at the compliment and the boy gasped anew at her beauty – it shone all the brighter when she smiled, like sunlight breaking through storm-clouds.

She was soaking wet, he realised. Her sodden hair clung in tendrils to her face and neck. She must be freezing, especially with the weather which was not kind in this region. _And_ she had little if no clothing on – of _that_ he was very aware.

_Why would such a beautiful creature be out here in the cold and wet, near naked no less?_

Trying to shake off his drunken stupor, he pulled off his thick winter coat. It was frighteningly inadequate but he would give her more if she asked, he would give her everything.

"You must be frozen." He offered the coat.

When she made no move to take it he shuffled forward on the rocks, inching closer and closer to this Venus. His proximity did not appear to frighten her and that buoyed his confidence. Gently, he reached over and wrapped the material around her icy form, realising as he did, that she was, in fact, wearing nothing at all… _Oh dear lord… _

His hands rested on her delicate shoulders and now they were there he couldn't seem to make them move, they rebelled at the mere thought.

She looked down meekly, almost shyly, and he scanned her features in question.

Her eyes caught his then, flashing up from under dark lashes and locking in place. They were… _enthralling_. Under their weight he found that he could no longer move, no longer breathe. He had never seen such eyes: emerald and sapphire and gold all at once.

He leaned forward, not of his own volition, drawn by a force beyond his comprehension or control.

Her lips lay so close to his, a mere breathe away, and that was too much. As he neared she tentatively drew back. His body screamed in protest at the unwanted distance and instantly moved to close the gap, but as soon as he did she moved again. They continued in this teasing dance until her face barely surfaced the tide. Hair seeped out around her in a halo of delicate gold, making her beauty ethereal…

"Dave," a voice yelled, "did you call me, man?"

_Jon… _Dave thought, and blinked, almost shaken from his spell-bound haze.

Something, some innate sense of alarm was ringing in his head. Something was wrong with this situation, with _her_… Her eyes gleamed with an almost predatory light.

_Jon… Call Jon… _He turned, with every intention of doing just that, but her hands lashed out, quick as a whip, to latch onto his face. Cheeks in hand, she locked his gaze back on hers and the alarm, as faint as it had initially been, was completely smothered.

Almost lovingly, her arms wound around him. Delicate fingers caressed the skin of his neck and wound in his hair. She coaxed him forward with faint whimpering's and smiles filled with promise… gradually leading him into the depths.

He followed her willingly. He would follow her anywhere.

Together and with barely a sound, they descended into the dark waters.

"Dave?!" Jon's cry issued far behind him. "Dave!"

….

Chapter 1: Bella

"Hey, Dave," I called happily as I wandered into the Fork's Police Station, with a brown paper bag swinging in my grasp.

Dave was the perpetual watcher; he had been manning the reception desk here since time began, as far as I could tell. If we lived in a completely supernatural world, I could easily imagine him as being something akin to Argus – the hundred-eyed giant of Greek Mythology. Dave saw everything that went on here; he may as well have had a hundred eyes.

"Isabella," he acknowledged with a gruff nod. Straightening his newspaper, he re-immersed himself in his reading.

"Hey, Bella," Mark called from the coffee machine. Mark was Charlie's deputy and a good friend of his. "I hear congratulations are in order."

That must have been the most commonly used phrase I'd heard this week and it still made me cringe. My upcoming marriage was the biggest bit of gossip in Forks since… Well, I couldn't even think of an appropriate comparison. Probably since the departure of the Chief's flighty ex-wife (i.e. mom) who had cruelly abandoned him and run away to sunnier climes with their months-old daughter in tow (i.e. me), leaving poor Charlie Swan to suffer their loss. Funny how I'd been a major participant in not one but _two_ of the biggest scandals Forks had seen in the last twenty years.

"Thanks," was my automated response. "You'll be getting your invite in the mail, they're being sent out soon." _In fact, Alice is probably posting them as we speak. _

Mark nodded and carefully sipped from his steaming cup.

"Not that it isn't nice to see you…" he said, "but what brings you here?"

"I'm bringing Dad some lunch."

I held up the bag as evidence. Exhibit A.

He sniffed the air.

"Smells good," he commented. "Toasted bacon, right?" he sniffed again, "with jalapeños and barbecue sauce."

I smiled, he had a good nose.

"Just the way Charlie likes it. Still warm," I added, swinging the bag temptingly in front of him.

"Hey, don't tease my stomach like that; I've had nothing to eat since breakfast," he said with a smile, rubbing his belly.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No problem, I'll forgive you if you bring me one too next time, if you don't mind."

"Sure-sure, Mark." I bit my lip and flinched as soon as I said it.

That was a phrase I had picked up from Jacob, my purposefully-missing best-friend. He had his reasons of course, many of which I myself had provided. The responsibility of his absence rested squarely on my shoulders and it was a weight I was willing to bare, if only he were happy. It broke my heart to know he was not, but there was nothing I could do at present to change that status, so I did the only thing my aching heart could bare – I tried not to think about him. But as much as I tried, my thoughts always tended to spiral back to him.

Speak of the devil…

As if my will alone had conjured him into being he was unexpectedly right there in front of me – grinning his trademark sunny smile. I stared miserably at the poster of Jake plastered to the corkboard, as a hollow pit ripped open in my gut. I hadn't seen that smile in so long and I probably wouldn't _really_ see it for a long time yet, if ever.

The words: '_Have you seen this boy_?' were boldly printed below his image. They sent uncomfortable quakes through my stomach and an all too familiar lump formed in my throat. Every time I saw him it was like a slap in the face; a punishment I well-deserved and more besides. Resolutely, I pushed thoughts of him away. Thinking on Jake too much was an indulgence my delicate psyche could rarely afford.

"Oh," Mark noticed my pre-occupation. "Your father's been printing them out; we've been putting flyers up all over town, and we've sent them out to nearly every other station across the peninsula. Your father said you knew him?"

"We're… Friends," I said dumbly, struggling with the word.

Were? Are? I just didn't know which word to use anymore, I feared the former.

"I'm sorry," he said, rather awkwardly. He and I both knew the consolation was insufficient, but there really wasn't much else one could say. "Such a shame," he added, "so many of them go missing each year."

Trying to swallow the lump in my throat, I made an effort to re-immerse myself in the conversation. That was when I _really_ noticed the board, and all of the other posters on it.

"There are so many," I agreed, taking in the mass. The board was smothered.

It was a shock all of its own. I had no idea so many people had gone missing recently. One in particular caught my eye, of a young red-headed girl a little older than me.

'_Riana Lefebvre, 21 years old, Student of Washington State University_' I read.

Apparently, she had been missing since last October. I sighed inwardly as I read further – she had disappeared in Seattle, no doubt a victim of Victoria or her newborn army. They had plagued the city for months. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot more of the missing listed here could be attributed to Victoria and her mad scheme.

Suddenly, my planned joint-lunch with Charlie lost its appeal. My appetite was gone.

"You know what, Mark. I have a spare Bacon sandwich."

He frowned. "Isn't that one for you?"

"I'm really not that hungry," I waved away his worry. "I had a late breakfast," I added, lying on a whim.

"Well, if you're sure," he murmured.

His eyes were already glued to the sandwich. I swear I heard his stomach growl.

I handed over the cellophane-covered toasty before his belly could snap at me. Mark unravelled the packaging and took an appreciative whiff, sighing contentedly.

"I'm suddenly finding myself rather jealous of Charlie, I wouldn't mind having a daughter like you Isabella, maybe one day, huh?"

It was common knowledge that Mark and his wife had been trying for a little one for a few years now. I truly hoped he'd get the family he deserved, he was a good man.

Feeling a little guilty, I continued on. This wasn't so much a selfless, thoughtful, I'm-just-a-darn-good-daughter thing I was doing. My sandwich scheme had another design.

I was playing the good daughter today.

After Charlie's reaction to the news that Edward and I were getting hitched, I was playing my cards right, buttering him up if you will… just in case he reconsidered the whole 'shot-gun' approach to Edward's proposal.

I spotted him easily enough; Charlie leaned over a desk pouring over paper-work. From the way he went on about his work sometimes, I'd almost expected to come across him playing Black-jack or shooting some pool. His description had been misleading.

"Hey, Dad," I called.

Charlie's head snapped up, "Bells." He was visibly shocked to see me and half-rose from his desk. "What are you…?"

"I brought lunch," I smiled, raising the brown paper bag before his thoughts could run wild. I hadn't considered that he might see my waltzing randomly into the police station as a bad thing, and I wanted to belay any fears before they could form.

"You… Brought lunch?" he said slowly, testing the words.

Judging by his disbelief, I may as well have said I was joining the circus as a juggling mono-cyclist. Was it really such an unusual thing to do? It was only lunch.

"Yeah," I said in the same slow tone. "Does a daughter need a reason to spend some quality time with her dear old dad on his lunch break?"

Attempting to be the very image of innocence, I smiled sweetly.

He raised his eyebrow questioningly. I knew what he was thinking – I'd never bothered before. Did that make me a bad daughter or just negligent?

"Okay, I'll admit that my visit has some other… advantages." I sighed as I dropped into the chair beside him, and admitted, "I'm hiding out from Alice."

It wasn't the primary reason I was here; truly it wasn't, but…

"Still absorbed in the wedding madness is she?" he chuckled knowingly.

I grimaced. If only he knew…

When Alice was on a mission she was a force to be reckoned with. A scary, vampire, tornado force wrapped up in a deceptively cute package. And this wedding was her mission. She acted as if we were going into battle, all seriousness, barking out a stream of constant orders. I could easily imagine Jasper saluting her with a, 'Yes, drill sergeant!' I'd said it once myself, and heard Emmett's accompanying snort downstairs, but the look she gave me then scared me so much that I'd never indulged again. I'd lost track of the amount of things she'd attempted to absorb me in, from: lighting, the guest list, and cake designs to things I had never even thought of, like: coconut brands, lace-designs and confetti-shapes. She also had a tendency to bring up things I definitely didn't want to discuss – specifically honeymoon-related things. My cheeks burned at the memories. And randomly, two days ago, she had run up to me and asked, 'You have no aversion to _De Jaeger_, do you?', then she had shaken her dainty head sadly and disappeared just as quickly as she'd arrived, without giving me the chance to ask, "What is _De Jaeger_?" I still wasn't sure if I'd just imagined the whole thing. All in all, my head was spinning.

"I thought it was the Bride that was supposed to go all crazy about 'the big day'." Charlie actually air-quoted the last three words, drawing me back to the present.

"You know me, I'm not one for the spot-light," I mumbled.

However much Alice thought I should enjoy the attention, it just plain scared me.

"We have that in common," he agreed.

The dress-fitting, so far, was the worst part. With measuring tape and pins sticking out of her mouth, Alice pricked and poked as she flitted about, often muttering things about one designer or another, or commenting on the incredible talent that was Perrine Bruyere. At the end of each session I felt physically bruised, although there was not a mark on me. I couldn't understand it – she had already gotten me the dress _before_ I'd even agreed to marry Edward, so how many fittings could I possibly need? I had to admit though, Alice had taste; the dress was a fabric masterpiece. Even so, during the pre-wedding preparations I felt more and more like her personal Barbie-doll than I ever had before. I loved her, but sometimes that pixie was a nightmare.

"I've got a fitting this afternoon," I grumbled morosely.

Charlie noticeably shivered, and I was glad that somebody shared my pain. He muttered something unintelligible about a 'monkey-suit'.

I laughed. "You think you've got it bad? At least Alice isn't forcing you into six-inch heels."

He flinched at that mental image, and I couldn't help but laugh again.

All in all, this lunch idea was going pretty well. I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before. Spending time with Charlie was never a big priority for me and that was a shame, after all, I didn't have that long left with him, I'd be moving out soon, and for all he knew heading off to Dartmouth with my new husband. No, I hadn't spent much time with him, but in the few weeks we had left together, I resolved to rectify that.

In the corner of the room the TV caught my eye. A news report was in progress, with a young female reporter sporting a bob-cut speaking into the microphone. She was wind-swept and having a lot of trouble keeping her hair out of her eyes. Behind her was a rocky beach, similar to the ones I'd seen around La Push, and in the corner of the screen an image of a cheerful-looking teenage boy with pale brown hair was displayed.

"What's this?" I asked, and Charlie turned it up.

"_After a four-day search, the body of college student David Griffin from Carlsborg has been found in Dungeness Bay, half a mile from where he was last seen_," the reporter said emphatically. "_We cannot reveal at this point the exact nature of his death, however, one of the police officers on-scene has stated that: 'judging by the boys injuries, it appears he was attacked by some kind of animal, perhaps a mountain lion or a bear', although, there have been no sightings of such animals in the local area and no other attacks have been reported. Another more popular theory is that David has fallen victim to a shark, though highly unusual in this area it is not impossible. But again, we must stress that no other cases or sightings have been reported. Police are appealing for any information…_"

The reporter's words began to glaze over me as I thought of another theory she had not covered – vampire attack. Dungeness Bay was near Port Angeles and Port Angeles wasn't that far from Forks. Did that mean another vampire was hunting in the vicinity? Usually they were more careful to conceal their tracks, at least that's what I'd gathered from Edward and Jasper whenever the subject had come up, which I had to admit, was not often. Sometimes though, nomads were drawn to the area by the Cullens, curious at the presence of such a large coven, and they would snatch a snack whilst in the area.

I sighed; I was probably getting ahead of myself. It was too easy to become paranoid after the year I'd had and assume that every mystery human death was vampire-related. Humans _did_ occasionally die of natural causes. It was probably, as the reporter said, a wild animal or a shark-attack. Still, I made a mental note to ask Alice about it when I got back.

"…_the work of the wildly active serial killer. Perhaps, this attack is related to the recent spate of killings in Seattle_."

Perhaps she was right. I wondered idly if one of Victoria's new-borns had escaped the Cullen's grasp. Edward had been adamant that all the vampires had been destroyed, but maybe one had escaped, maybe one that had left Victoria prior to her attack on Forks. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Onscreen, the reporter sighed and hung her head.

"_Needless to say, his family is devastated. David, you will be sorely missed_."

Charlie sighed. "Such a shame, he was so young too, not much older than you."

"Yeah, I bet his family is distraught," I said, a little numbly. I was still staring at the boy's image. He was only young, about my own age…

"They are. I would be." Charlie frowned, rubbing the stubble on his chin. His face – lost in thought for a moment – flicked back to the here and now and he raised one eyebrow. "You still have that can of pepper-spray I gave you in your bag, right?"

I laughed, a little nervously, "Of course, but I don't think it'll work against sharks, Dad."

_Or vampires_, I mentally added.

He shrugged. "Still, I don't want you going anywhere near that beach."

"Don't worry, Dad. I have no plans to travel up to Port Angeles, and definitely no plans to go to the beach. It's hardly the weather for sun-bathing."

It was Washington State; it was _never_ the weather for sun-bathing, but I didn't feel the need to add that part.

"Anyway," I said, sliding the sandwich bag across the table in front of him. "I brought you a snack. It's hot, or at least it was."

Charlie rooted around in the paper bag and retrieved the bacon sandwich. He also pulled out the thermos of coffee and a pair of Mars bars I'd thought to add at the last minute before leaving home. He crunched into the toasty sandwich, which surprisingly was still warm. He smiled, genuinely happy.

"This is pretty darn good, kid. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

I retrieved the second Mars and began to munch along with him.

The silence wasn't awkward, it was comfortable. That had always been the way between me and Charlie; we didn't need to fill every second with inane chatter. The quiet was relaxing and together we idly observed the workings of the station. A young clerk – who I assumed was on work experience – passed with a pile of paper, looking harried; and at the front desk a woman was describing her lost cat, Mr McFluffykins, to a bored-looking Dave who was taking down her details. With a name like Mr McFluffykins I wasn't surprised that he'd run off.

We didn't discuss Jake, we didn't need to. It was still a sensitive subject for me, and Charlie was still sore over Billy's involvement, or lack thereof, in the search for his son. He didn't approve of Billy's 'Jacob's a grown man, he'll come home when he wants to' approach. Of course, none of us could just up and tell Charlie the truth – that Jake was a werewolf that could look after himself, and that through the pack's telepathic connection Sam was keeping an eye on him and would know if anything was seriously wrong. Yeah, that would go down well. Charlie couldn't understand Billy's apparent carelessness, it made him mad, and so _there_ was another reason to avoid the subject. Therefore, it was left undiscussed.

It didn't take us long to eat and soon we were wiping our hands and dusting ourselves off as we demolished the last few crumbs. I packed up the rubbish, ready to dispose of it on my way out. I didn't want to take up too much of his time, he was on the clock after all and I didn't want to make a nuisance of myself.

"Bells…?" Charlie said.

"Hmmm…?" I said, getting up from the chair.

"I, err, really enjoyed this." Charlie's word were awkward and gruff, he wasn't one for embarrassing emotional displays. "We should do it again."

"Yeah, same time tomorrow?" I asked.

"It's a date." He nodded and pointed a finger at me sternly. "Don't let me down, kid."

"Sharks or wild bears couldn't keep me away." I smiled as I turned to leave.

Waving to Mark and Dave as I left, I wandered out into the parking lot. It was still early and the sun was out, for once, and I admired the beauty of the day as I dug around in my pocket. Unfortunately, it wasn't my Chevy's slightly tarnished silver key that I retrieved; it was some new electronic gadgety thing that I still didn't like the look of.

The key to my new car – and by new I mean _brand_ new, and by brand new I mean _straight of the manufacturers show line_ new – bleeped strangely and the car's lights flashed.

The thing was massive, a shining monstrosity that was far more extravagant than anything I'd ever need. I really did miss my poor aged Chevy.

Reminiscing, my mind drifted back to a few hours ago, to the grand unveiling of the 'before' car, as Edward had dubbed it. Before, as in, _before_ I was changed…

Emmett threw up his arms as he, Edward and I entered the spacious Cullen garage.

"The only thing she'll say is that it's shiny," he complained.

"No, I won't," I said with mock hurt. "I'm sure I can think of something more technologically savvy and surprisingly witty to say about it. I may actually know more about cars than you realise."

_Lie_.

Edward snorted as he drew close to the sheet-covered vehicle, and with a swift, sweeping motion, he unveiled it. And there it was – the Guardian.

In an effort not to disappoint Emmett, I exclaimed, "Oh, it's _shiny_."

Well, it _was_ and it was definitely expensive. I suppressed the urge to grill Edward over the unnecessary cost; after all, part of our impromptu and rather lop-sided engagement compromise was that he got to buy my new car. Its jet-black design and tinted windows were very stylish, and it was obviously advanced and I was sure that Edward could tell me a lot about the engine design, horse-power, and other unnecessary gadgets it contained. But still, I was at a loss for words. As far as the technology side of it went, I had nothing. I couldn't even name the manufacturer – where was the damn symbol?

Predictably, Emmett burst out laughing while Edward rolled his eyes.

"It also looks like a tank!" I frowned, "And let me guess, this is bullet proof glass."

Emmett snorted, "No, its missile proof."

_What?! _

I looked at him for a moment before slowly turning to Edward.

"Should I be worried? Because I don't think he's joking."

Edward grimaced, guiltily.

"Edward!" I cried. "At what point did you think I was going to be attacked with bullets, let alone _missiles_, on a trip to the convenience store? …In _Forks_?"

"Oh yeah, I hear the crime rate around here is awful." Emmett chuckled evilly. "Delinquent squirrels throwing nuts, raccoons stealing garbage… How _will_ she survive a trip to the gas station?" he shook his head sadly.

"Emmett," Edward said in warning.

"Although, with _your_ track record, Bella, Edward probably has a point," he conceded.

He then punched Edward's arm in camaraderie as he made his way out of the garage, leaving me and Edward alone. I moved closer to assess my new prize. Trailing my fingers lightly over the expensive-looking sheen, I looked back at him, trying to assert the very essence of innocence.

"You know, it's funny," I started in sweet voice.

"What is, love?"

"That my poor old truck wheezed its last breath just weeks after we made our compromise, a major part of which included you buying my next car. Rather convenient timing, don't you think?"

_Very convenient timing_…

He smiled crookedly, already seeing the game.

"Well now, you have to consider that your dear Chevy did live a long and wholesome life. It was just its time to move on." His voice was remorseful and I didn't believe it for one second. "I assure you it died of natural causes."

_Of course it did_.

I surveyed him through narrowed eyes. He'd have been a more believable if he hadn't added that last part. Of course, there was no way I could verify his story or prove that he'd turned autocidal on my truck. Resurrecting the Chevy was also out of the question, I couldn't tell a carburettor from an AA-battery. The only way to be sure would be to have Jake-

And the thought process halted right there and refused to go on.

Jake was not a topic I allowed my mind to peruse at will.

Instead, I refocused on Edward.

Perhaps there was another way I could wheedle the truth out of him.

Mimicking his crooked smile, I manoeuvred around the car and strolled back towards him. He watched me warily, probably wondering what I was up to, and no doubt anticipating my usual explosive response to such extreme gifts.

"The car is very nice, Edward," I murmured as I drifted closer.

"Good," he said, slow and wary. Damn, his guard was up.

I moved closer. Pressing against him, I stared idly at his chest.

"In fact, it's beautiful," I said, my voice contemplative as I marched my fingers up his torso. "I may not be a car-buff, but I can tell it's fast, it's advanced, it's well-designed, and it's obviously expensive."

My fingers had completed their march all the way up to his chin and on the last word I pressed my forefinger lightly to the tip of his nose, before releasing it.

He frowning then, likely trying to unravel the inner workings of my mind, wondering what on Earth I was thinking.

"I'm not mad about the cost," I assured him.

_I was a bit; I bet it cost more than my house_.

Edward wasn't having any of it.

"What _are_ you up to?" he said seriously, but I could tell that he was finding it hard not to smile.

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"I _know_ you. You don't accept gifts this easily."

_No, I don't_.

I shrugged, staring at his shirt as I splayed my fingers across the fabric, exploring the smooth cloth.

"I'm just trying to say thank you."

His guarded countenance started to crumble then; I could tell by the way his body broke rank. His hands glided up along my arms to cup my shoulders. His thumbs rubbed lightly at the smooth skin above my collarbones and I had to remind myself not to get lost in his touch. This was my game and I had a purpose, information to gain. The ghost of my poor deceased truck demanded justice. It sent me on a giddy new high to realise that I was considering this little act as an interrogation.

"The Guardian is capable, it'll last, and there are a lot of miles left on those tyres and the paint-jobs certainly better." I switched my voice into a purr, hoping to lure him in.

He laughed but it was short and I don't think he was really listening to me anymore; his gaze was trained on my lips. I smiled as he leaned in closer.

"In fact, it's vastly superior in every way," I murmured, trying to instil my voice with huskiness.

Unfortunately for me, being sexy wasn't my natural state, but it seemed to work today. My senses were on high alert, hyper-aware of ever inch we touched. This was a new for me, being this slow, seductive temptress. I had to focus then, and not allow my voice to quiver.

"That being said… the truck wasn't the worst vehicle in the world."

He was still entranced. Was I actually dazzling _him_?

"And no matter how bad it looked; you would _never_ compromise my vehicle, would you?" My voice was as low and as breathless as I could make it.

"N-no, of course not…" He was mesmerised and his breathing had become heavier.

I smiled victoriously, "Hmmm?" I purred – _putty in my hands_.

"No, I would never…" his breath rushed out.

_Huh, perhaps he was telling the truth and my truck really had died of natural causes_.

Edwards's eyes drifted shut and those luscious lips hovered a bare millimetre from mine as he crooned, "You can't be too upset with the upgrade from that rust-bucket?"

I pulled back, breaking my spell.

"_Rust-bucket…?_" I gasped in mortification, leaning away from him. "Have some respect for the dead."

Smiling, I smacked his arm and flippantly moved to leave the garage. Thinking I may as well have drenched him in ice-water.

Game over: Bella scores. I'd achieved results; he hadn't confessed but he had sounded genuinely sincere when he said he'd done nothing to my Chevy and I believed him, so he was out of trouble.

I got no further than the open garage door before stone arms wrapped around my waist halting me in my tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled playfully in my ear.

Judging by the wry amusement in his voice, he knew exactly what I had been up to with my teasing.

Giggling as he swung me around, I didn't notice immediately when Jasper pulled up in the jeep and Emmett hopped out, Jasper wasn't far behind him. Edward set me safely down and frowned, running a hand through his messy bronze hair in frustration.

"No, I didn't forget," he said, before turning to me with resignation.

"I'm heading out with Jasper and Emmett soon. We're only hunting in the Olympic Peninsula, so I won't be far from home, but I won't see you until later tonight."

He obviously liked the idea as much as I did.

Winding my arms around his waist the same way his were wrapped around mine, I looked into his pained honey-eyes. In an effort that probably looked forced (and fooled no one), I plastered an encouraging smile on my face.

"That's alright." I shrugged. "My schedules all booked up today anyway. I'm having lunch with Charlie and Alice plans on subjecting me to further dress-fitting humiliation this afternoon. But it shouldn't be _too_ bad; apparently she has some other victims to target."

Edward laughed. "Why do you think Emmett's running?"

Emmett mumbled a string of unintelligible words. I thought I caught '_not running_'in their midst.

Edward snorted and Emmett threw up his arms in irritation.

"Don't pretend I'm the only one. You're running too, Edward," he accused point-blank.

"I'm not running anywhere," he said with eyes on me.

"You should be. With all the wedding madness that little pixie is a whole new level of scary."

Jasper snickered. "And it's only going to get worse, Emmett."

"How could it get worse?" he asked, incredulous. "She's already a certifiable mania-"

"-Hello Emmett," Alice said sweetly.

"Gah!" he nearly fell over as he stumbled out of her range. She had materialised at his side, seemingly out of nowhere.

"You forgot your phone," she continued, maintaining the sweetest, most serene tone.

"Err, thanks," he muttered, eyeing her warily as he accepted his cell.

She smiled benignly as she turned to leave, but I wasn't fooled.

"Oh, and one more thing, Emmett," she cast over her shoulder. "No matter how far you run, no matter where you hide, I will always be one step ahead of you."

She pointed to her eyes and then at Emmett, in an 'I've-got-my-eye-on-you' gesture. Emmett actually gulped.

"We'll sort out your suit when you get back," she finished and was gone.

Jasper laughed in open disbelief at Emmett.

"Did you really think you'd get away without her knowing?"

Emmett turned on me in retaliation.

"What did you unleash, Bella? I place the responsibility of this monster solely on you."

He grumbled unintelligibly as he clambered into the jeep, followed by a still-snickering Jasper.

"I think this maid of honour thing has gone to her head," I said in real consternation.

The power I had instilled her with definitely had. A new nickname I had dubbed her with sprung to mind: 'The Wedding Tyrant'. I never actually used it, only in my head. That was safest that way.

"You have no one but yourself to blame for that," Edward pointed out and it was true. I'd given her free reign to organise the wedding. "But she is very happy," he added with a smile.

I raised one eyebrow. She didn't seem happy, the words: obsessive, nervy or quick-tempered seemed more fitting; I wasn't seeing so much of the happy.

Edward nodded, conceding my unsaid point.

"Despite appearances to the contrary," he finished.

The imminence of his departure settled into my chest then, like a lead weight. I was finding it harder and harder to let him go. My hands did not want to unravel from around him.

"I'll miss you," I murmured, running my fingers through his hair, "hurry back."

My voice sounded needy and embarrassingly husky, and I reached up to caress his lips with my own. It was meant to be short and chaste but Edward responded with more fervour than I had anticipated. His kiss smouldered in a deliciously icy way, I clutched at his shirt, straining to bring myself that one nanometre closer, to immerse myself in the passion he offered. Ever since our engagement had been made official, I had been tentatively exploring those carefully placed boundaries of his, shifting them that little bit further with each passing day, wondering just how far Edward would allow me to go. He hadn't stopped me so far and not just that, to my delighted surprise I found that Edward was more than willing to accommodate my wishes. As a result, Edward's carefully enforced boundaries of our physical relationship were somewhat lax these days. Our lips manoeuvred in synchronisation, absorbed in their own desperate dance. My heart was behaving ridiculously again, the sound of its hammering nearly drowned out all other noise. _Nearly_, but didn't quite.

"Get a room!" Emmett called from the jeep's window.

Neither of us paid any attention. When we were together like this, time itself stood still.

Edward drew back for a moment, his eye burning down into mine with raging intensity, he chuckled breathlessly.

"I am counting down the days until I get to call you Mrs Cullen."

I smiled. Despite my reservations about the wedding, I really did like the sound of that – _Mrs Cullen_.

"That sounds nice," I mumbled, already breathless.

Flashing a grin, he swung me over his arms until I was hanging nearly parallel with the ground. Before I could as much as utter "Edward what?" he lips crashed down on mine and I was hopelessly lost, again.

Jasper and Emmett honked the horn and whooped like chimps. But we ignored them; we were too wrapped up in our own blissful little world.

Finally becoming bored when we didn't stop, Jasper sighed with wry amusement.

"Break it up, love birds," he said, while Emmett called, "Save it for the honeymoon!"

I did blush then, suddenly embarrassed. We were with company after all. I hadn't meant to broadcast our love so blatantly but as was usually the case when Edward and I were around each other, we just got carried away. Edward was the first to pull back, apparently his self-control was, as usual, infinitely superior to my own.

I half-stepped away but Edward stepped with me, allowing no distance and keeping his arms securely around my waist. He leaned in close as we both caught our breaths and my heart settled to a gentler hum, and a gust of his delicious honey scent swept my way, making me dizzy.

"I'm leaving my heart in your keeping," he murmured, pecking chastely at my lips, "keep it safe."

Emmett made a gagging sound, which I thought was rich considering some of the displays he and Rosalie had subjected the rest of us to.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll bring him back in one piece… probably." Jasper chuckled, leaning out of the driver's window.

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly released Edward.

"Go ahead. I'll see you in a few hours."

I gave him a shove towards the jeep, which had no effect whatsoever; I may as well have shoved a brick wall. He sighed dramatically, as if the hunting trip were _such_ a burden, and swooped back in for one last kiss.

Before I could draw breath, Edward was gone, jumping in through the jeeps open window to tackle Emmett. I heard an "Owf!" followed by a "what gives?" as they crashed to the floor. The brothers grappled, each trying to get the other in a head-lock, while Jasper swung the jeep around. Its tyres squealed, spraying gravel as they speeded towards the highway – _Boys_.

Dragging myself out of my reverie, I clambered into the tank before any of the officers saw me swooning. The parking lot of my dad's police station…? Not the best place to do that.

The leather squeaked as I dropped into my seat and I took a moment to grimace. I looked so wrong in this swanky car it was unbelievable – with my checked shirt and scrappy jeans – it definitely didn't suit me. Plus, I was still in mourning for my Chevy; I reserved the right to not approve of its replacement.

Shifting the car into gear I stomped on the gas-pedal without thinking, the way I would have done with my old car. The engine released a lion-like roar and lurched forward so swiftly that my body smacked back into the seat, bruising my spine.

I slammed on the brake just short of a police cruiser.

I whistled in relief, _close call_.

Great, the last thing I needed was to be had up on charges for ramming a police car with my tank – whether it was unintentional or not.

Trying and failing to smile serenely and keep my head, I carefully lifted the clutch… and stalled. _I swear this car has a vendetta against me_.

My second attempt was much more effective and I carefully began to move.

_Well_, I mused as I drove cautiously, successfully avoiding further mayhem; _at least I'm the police Chief's daughter. If nothing else, Charlie could get me a nice cell_.

Pretending nothing too embarrassing had just happened I manoeuvred lithely through the lot and was soon on my way.

On a whim, I decided to drive the coastal route down the I101 to the South. It was a pleasant day and Alice didn't need me for hours. Edward was gone now, and would be gone for the rest of the day. I was also a little reluctant to return to Alice and her persistent pre-wedding madness, well… maybe more than a little reluctant.

The coast was a little out of the way. Ok, _a lot_ out of the way but I had a nagging urge to see the ocean and I couldn't really discern the reasoning behind this feeling. Perhaps it was due to my enforced absence from La Push and First Beach, my absence from Jacob.

I sighed. _There, I was thinking of him. I thought his name_.

Now that I was alone, my mind tumbled into Jacob-induced worry. His prolonged absence from La Push was troubling me. I understood that he needed space, I understood, really I did. That didn't stop the worry though.

I debated again, as I had already done a hundred times today, about ringing Seth to check up on him through their wolfy connection. But I was trying to be good, trying to limit myself to just the one call a day. There was also that one other issue that gave me pause – his sister, Leah, picking up the phone. That girl was scary incarnate, not to mention one seriously bad-tempered werewolf. Leah gave Paul a run for his money.

I flipped the phone open once, twice, three times, then sighed and, resigning myself to a day without news, stowed it away. _Later_, I promised myself.

I supposed I could have gone down to First Beach if I wanted to see the ocean, it was the closest, but I didn't want to impose my company on anyone I may come across. Not to mention this tormenting sense that rose in my gut every time I entertained the thought of going there, that I was betraying Edward in some way, and I got that from just thinking about it, let alone acting upon it. It was only a beach after all and Jake wasn't even there.

_No, better to bypass the area completely and head out to new territory_

This little outing was for me and me alone, I was in sore need of some me-time and I hadn't really been getting it recently with all the activity constantly surrounding me. I wanted quiet, quiet from celebration-organisations, quiet from troublesome worries about vampires and werewolves, quiet from my own thoughts. I wondered if Edward ever got this overwhelmed with other people's thoughts crashing around in his head. I knew the answer to that straight away – yes, because he'd said so more than once. I guess that was partly why the quiet of my mind appealed to him so much.

Stealing myself, I took a deep lungful of air and held the breath. Clutching the steering wheel, I let it out slowly and pushed all thoughts aside.

_No more worries_, I told myself sternly,_ just enjoy the scenic drive._

The sun glinted off the dark blue sea, throwing crystalline flashes intermittently into my eyes. The sky was very near cloudless with only the odd fluffy splotch to mar its perfection. Even the surrounding trees looked greener, if that were possible. It was so bright that I had no doubt none of the Cullens would be venturing out into town today.

I flipped down my sun-visor and gazed out to sea.

My foot slammed on the brake and the Guardian screeched to an unhealthy halt just shy of the grass verge. My eyes frantically scanned back to what I _thought_ I had seen.

Was that? …Yes it was. Cold fear stabbed at my gut.

Throwing the door open, I leapt out of the car and launched into a stumbling run. There was a girl, lying right there, face down in the sand. She was half-submerged in the sea, with the tide lapping at her waist and her hair splayed out above her in a sticky black mass.

I wanted to get to her quickly, but I feared it was too late.

The shale was not my friend, my feet could find no purchase in it, they slipped and slid and more than once I fell flat on my face, no doubt grazing my cheeks in the sharp grains. I got a mouthful of the stuff once, but regardless I trudged on, spitting and choking as I went. I took no care in my haphazard sprint and now I could taste the iron-tang of blood in my mouth, I must have cut my lip. My shins stung painfully too and I realised that I must have torn my jeans. All these thoughts were secondary though, as my mind locked onto my goal.

As I drew closer it became clear that the girl was definitely not conscious. She lay face down in the gravel, with heaps of soaking ebony hair concealing her face. My breathing hitched, and I didn't think it was due to my mad dash, as panic rose to the forefront of my mind. My phone buzzed loudly in my pocket then and I wasn't really surprised.

I flipped it open as I ran.

"Alice!"

"Bella! Oh thank goodness, are you okay? You just vanished. I can't see-"

"-There's a girl by the shore, she's hurt. I don't think she's breathing-"

"Okay, calm down, where are you?" She said, trying to keep calm herself, "Carlisle!" I heard her yell over her shoulder.

"Err," I panted, scrunching my face in confusion. My thoughts were chaotic; it took me a while to focus on her question and even longer to answer it. "I'm somewhere along the I101, the coastal road. You can see my car along the side. I'm in the area just in front of it."

With each passing moment I drawing closer to the girl and as desperately as I wanted to help, another part of my mind was screaming at me to leave and bolt in the opposite direction, in open fear of what I would find.

"Okay, Carlisle will be there soon." Alice's voice was calm and reassuring on the other end of the line. "Can you check her pulse?"

"Just a sec," I gasped as I dropped down next to her. "I'll have to roll her over."

Gingerly, I moved the mass of soaking black hair that spread across the shale around her head. Her face was on its side, half pressed into the sand. She was deathly pale and her lips were tinted blue and her skin was ice-cold – colder even than Edward's or Alice's. As unwanted understanding overtook me, my hands began to shake.

"This isn't good," I moaned. "She's really cold."

"Bella, keep calm"

"…and pale, really pale…"

Her eyes flicked open and I stopped breathing, mesmerised.

They were the most beautiful eyes: deep, iridescent, swirling with a myriad of different colours, vibrating with their vibrancy. Green and blue and gold… They were haunting; there was no other word for it. Her eyes held hidden depths; depths that you could get lost in willingly and never care.

Somewhere, in a very distant, muffled part of my mind, alarm bells began to ring, desperately signalling to me that something was terribly wrong. I struggled to think through the murkiness that enveloped my thoughts. My mind resisted, protesting against this unnatural fogginess. It wasn't right.

_Dangerous_

That one word managed to haul its way to the forefront of my thoughts and make it-self known.

This girl was dangerous.

It was harder than it should have been to place the pieces of the puzzle together, locked as I was in her merciless gaze.

_Cold, pale, dazzling eyes…_

"Oh Crap!" I gasped.

I knew of only one creature with those definitive features – a vampire.

The phone slipped from my grasp and fell into the sand.

Alice's voice was frantic across the line but too muffled to make out the words. The girl slowly rose to my height and faced me where I knelt, sinking in the shale, hands hanging uselessly at my side while the tide lapped at my jeans. She maintained eye-contact all the way.

I couldn't move. I couldn't remember how to.

She launched at me, with viper-like accuracy and intent, plunging teeth into the tender flesh of my throat. Her canines sank in, slicing the skin like butter.

Agony speared though my consciousness and the spell broke. I fought; my body broken loose of its frozen state, but to no avail. My fingers could find no purchase on her ice-cold skin. The girl snarled, and it was a feral animalistic sound that was in all ways terrifying. A pitiful, garbled cry escaped my own throat and in a moment of sheer clarity I managed to make out the words Alice was screaming across the line.

"Bella, Hold on! We're coming for you!"

…..

_**Please**_** review – your prompting will encourage me to keep writing.**

**I will try to update weekly if people like the story.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Jacob

**First fan-fiction. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourite/followed Chapter 1 – it lets me know that you want to read more. Please keep it going. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. **

**Enjoy, **

**Nemma**

…**..**

* * *

Chapter 2: Jacob

_You're checking up on me again, _Jake snarled, beyond irritated.

Seth pretended not to notice his voice, and instead went snuffling about a patch of fern. But Jake could read his thoughts, they were as clear as day… and he knew.

_You need to stop it. Just leave me alone._

Sighing, Jake curled up once again in the entrance to his cave. It was hardly homely but the place worked well enough. He'd found it about two weeks into his nomad-roaming somewhere up in Alberta, and had claimed it for himself after chasing off the resident wolf pack. It was quiet, secluded, and hundreds of miles away from any form of civilisation. Now, if he could only learn how to block out the annoying wolf voices in his head…

_Jake_,Seth sighed, _Bella's just worried._

The name made him flinch. He did not want to think about _her_; every time he did the pain it caused was overwhelming.

_And she's not the only one. I'm worried too_, Seth added, his thoughts turning to his estranged pack-brother_. _

_As you can see, I'm fine. Now, just, leave me alone, okay?_

With a huff, Jake circled and flopped down, head on his paws.

Seth said nothing, but he did turn his thoughts to other things. Sue was baking a beef casserole to take over to Charlie Swan tonight and he was hoping she'd leave some for him. It had smelt really good: gravy, rich and succulent… When his mouth started to water and his stomach grumbled, Seth decided to hunt. There was a herd of caribou not far to the south and Seth let his nose lead him.

His thoughts turned a little wolfish from that point, they were all about smells and sights and sounds and Jake found it easy to ignore. He re-immersed himself in his little bubble and thought of deer too. Nice juicy meat, still fresh from the-

_What the…?_

Seth jolted and reeled back. A flash of white had streaked past him with lightning speed – it moved faster than even his werewolf senses could track. And it was gone as quickly as he'd sensed it – Vampire: no question about it.

_Seth?_

Jake jerked upright, instantly worried about his safety.

It took Seth longer than it should have to collect his thoughts. He shook his head with a snort, making a conscious effort to pinpoint the scent.

_Cullen, definitely… the small one with the black spiky hair… the one that looks like a pixie._

_Alice, _Jake said.

_Yeah, _Seth quirked up, _wonder what's got her running so fast?_

He'd barely finished the thought when another white streak blurred past on his right, followed just as quickly by one to his left. The second vampire breezed past his shoulder with inches to spare, ruffling his fur, and Seth whined.

He was too far from the one on his right, but the one on his left was closer and he sniffed the air, trying identifying the scent.

_Too perfumy, too sweet, more sickly than the others_…

_Rosalie_, Jake said, remembering her scent from their training sessions with the Cullens before they fought off the new-borns. _Why are they…? _

_Another white flash!_

Jake followed the next scent in Seth's thoughts. It was their leader's wife, the one who acted like their mother. What was her name? Something like Emma… no, Elsie…

_Esme_, Seth said.

_Yeah, that's it._

Jake remembered the few times he'd seen her during their preparations for the new-born battle. She'd always been slower than the rest.

_Catch her, ask what's up! _Jake ordered.

He had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling. He needed to know what had them running so fast, full-speed through the woods south of La Push, ignoring Seth no less – those leeches never ignored Seth. They took every opportunity they had to talk to him, since he was one Quileute who would speak to them with a civil tongue. Scratch that – he was the _only_ Quileute who would speak to them with a civil tongue.

Seth intercepted her track but made no move to stop her. He simply bounded along at her side making worried, whining noises.

Esme paused in surprise. "Seth!"

But her gaze darted ahead and she took off again. Seth was hot on her trail. With greater insistence, he continued his whines. Her behaviour had Seth worried now too, and Jake found himself, almost subconsciously, sitting up and leaning closer, as if he were there with them. Esme barely acknowledged Seth as she ran.

_It's like she's running for her life!_

Seth whined at the thought and glanced back, looking for signs of pursuit. Whatever made the Cullen's run was definitely something to be worried about.

_Where are the others? Where's Jasper and the big one, and Edward, and-_

_Bella!_

Seth nearly choked on Jake's spike of fright and stumbled in his steps. He soon righted himself and barked loudly at Esme. She glanced at him then, with large frightened eyes.

"She called," she said, "something's happened, we don't know what, she was screaming on the other end of the phone…"

_WHO?!_ They barked in unison, their words no more coherent than a dog's bark.

Though Jacob was sure he already knew… _No, don't say it_.

"Bella," Esme choked.

_FOLLOW THEM! _Jake screamed, but Seth was already on his way and Jake watched intently through his eyes.

It didn't take long for them to break through the bracken, crashing onto a deserted coastal road. Seth threw his head from side to side checking for people, but the area was deserted.

_There's no one here_.

Unsure what to do he looked to Esme. She had already taken off down the road to the South. Seth followed. Further ahead, he could see the blonde peeking out of an open car door. It was parked – if you call it parked, it was half way across the far side of the road with its bonnet dipped forward into a ditch – with its door left ajar, and a dinging noise rang in the air. The doctor and the little one, Alice, were kneeling over a patch of something on the beach, muttering rapidly. Alice stood up in a flash and darted along the shoreline, disappearing. Carlisle didn't move, he only stared, frozen, out to sea.

Esme reached his side and gasped. Flinging hands up to cover her mouth, she stumbled back – _a vampire actually stumbled?_ – shaking her head so fast that her face blurred and caramel hair flew up in a flurry.

_What happened?_ Jake barked. _Where is she? Where's Bella?_

_I don't know!_ Seth whined. _How should I?_

Alice flashed back and flew in the other direction.

Rosalie, the blonde, flitted to the doctor's side.

"Carlisle…" she ventured tentatively.

He said nothing.

With a piercing scream that toppled Seth to his side, Alice was back.

"There's no trail!" she cried. "Why is there no trail?!"

Carlisle was staring out to sea. "The water…"

Without pause, Alice splashed into the surf and vanished.

Rosalie stood stoically at his shoulder.

"You think whoever attacked her came from the water…" she said. "Carlisle, we'll never be able to track-"

Esme sobbed suddenly, cutting her off.

_I'm calling Sam_, Seth gasped, and without further delay the young pup threw his head back and released an ear-splitting howl.

The Cullen's barely acknowledged his call.

With a sigh, the blonde followed her sister with much less enthusiasm into the water. Carlisle, finally seeming to come to his senses, darted ahead of her. And as if on some invisible cue, Esme jerked into action and followed. All three were gone.

_Follow them! _Jake urged Seth. _See what you can find!_

_I can't swim!_ he protested, pawing the water's edge with trepidation.

_Do the freaking doggy paddle, just go!_

Seth backed up a step, tucking his tail between his legs with a low whine. Jake didn't have to be a part of his thoughts to see how much Seth didn't want to do this. But he was also worried for Bella, almost as much as Jake himself. With that knowledge in mind, Seth braced himself, gulped in a breath of air, and plunged into the tide like a dog chasing a stick. Using the weak traces of the Cullen's vampire scent, he found his way.

_Seth! What's the problem_?

Sam had finally turned up. He ignored Jake's thoughts – as had become the standard whenever the other wolves were phased. It was his own sympathetic attempt to provide Jake with what privacy he could while he had 'his little meltdown' as Jared liked to call it. But now was not the time or place for his misery. Bella's life was at stake.

_Bella's been taken_, Jake interrupted,_ by… something_.

They weren't even sure what yet. Alice said she could get no scent, Seth couldn't seem to find one either, but surely there wasn't any possibility but another vampire. Was there?

_Jake?_ Sam stumbled, surprised by the presence he had gotten so used to ignoring, but he was quick to get back on track. _Tell me what happened!_

Several other mental voices joined his own and Jake detected: Jared, Leah, Embry and Collin close by. A quick scan of their thoughts revealed that the missing others had ran off to protect their significant others in case this emergency was dire.

Instead of stumbling through an inadequately worded explanation, Jake quickly replayed his memories from the time he had noticed the vampires flying past Seth in the woods to the point where he had sent Seth diving after them into the ocean.

Seth was more than happy for Jake to explain, he was far too busy keeping his head above the waves to concentrate on anything else. But Leah was far from happy that Seth was alone, swimming at a painfully slow rate, in the water. He couldn't smell or see anything beyond the length of his own nostrils. This was dangerous and Jake had to agree with that.

_Get out of the water, Seth,_ Sam commanded.

_But… what about…?_

_Out of the water now!_

Spluttering and coughing, he turned to make his way to shore, but the water was everywhere and he kept dipping under, he couldn't work out which way to go. He was becoming rapidly confused, disoriented.

_Where's the shore? Where's the shore?_

_Hang on, we'll be there soon, _Leah barked.

She was already far ahead of the others. She threw herself through the thicket, tearing apart branches and ripping up soil between her powerful feet.

_I can't… I can't… _Seth coughed, inhaling water and choking.

_Seth, we're coming_, Embry shouted.

Jake tensed, leaning forward. _Head up, Seth! Kick for the surface!_

_Don't panic, _Sam commanded, but it was little use. Seth was panicking and he was beyond listening to reason now. He coughed, inhaling, choking on briny water, it was obstructing his throat. He couldn't breathe!

_Seth!_ Leah screamed.

He broke the surface, spluttering and gagging. There was an arm around his waist, holding him up – a marble-hard arm. Twisting, he turned to see a sodden blonde vampire hanging onto him.

Carlisle

Jake had never been more relieved to see him. Leah too, though she'd never admit it.

"It's alright," he said. "I've got you, Seth."

Seth stopped flailing then and gratefully allowed the vampire to tow him to shore.

Leah broke the treeline surrounding the beach just as a sopping wet Seth stumbled onto the gritty shale beside Carlisle. For only being in the sea for a few minutes he looked the worse for wear. Leah practically threw herself at him, desperate to see that he was okay. She nudged and nuzzled at his fur, her thoughts scattered and nonsensical, while Seth growled lightly and weakly shoved her away.

_Get off_.

He was embarrassed, but he could sense Leah's anxiety and sheer relief, so he wasn't too mad about her pestering, just a little annoyed. After that, Seth's thoughts turned back to the doctor, who was now watching the dripping blond female wading out of the waves.

"Rose?" he said.

She shook her head, "Nothing."

Sam burst out of the woods then, flanked closely by Jared, Embry and Collin. He wandered to Seth's side, checked him over and then looked out to sea. There was nothing but sloshing blue surf for miles.

Esme came sloshing out of the sea soon after, along with Alice. She was shaking her head and pressing a hand to her quivering lips. Carlisle did not need to ask.

The Pack's thoughts were buzzing so much that Jake could barely discern one voice from another.

_No scent, anywhere!_

_No sight…_

_Blood, Bella's…_

_What are they thinking?_

_What do we do?_

_What are we tracking?_

Jacob barked. And Sam commanded silence. All voices fell quiet.

_What was that about blood…?_ Jacob ventured.

Sam's thoughts froze… and, although he tried not to think of it clearly, and to find a way to phrase it more delicately, the raw information came across loud and clear. It was Bella's blood the Cullen's found staining the sand.

A roar tore its way out of Jacob's throat, so loud and long that flocks of birds from three miles away took to the sky. That howl was imbued with pain.

_Hold up, Jake_, Sam barked. _There isn't much, it's a bare smattering. There's still hope_.

_Sam… _Jake whined.

_Let me talk to the Doc._

But Carlisle was having an intense moment of his own. He stood trying to talk to Alice, but she was beyond listening to words.

"Nothing," she shrieked, beyond consolation. "There can't be nothing, there's never nothing! Where is she? Where _is_ she?" Turning to the sea, she cried, "Bella! BEELLLLLLAAA!"

Her shout echoed hollowly across the dark water and only seagulls cawed in response. Nevertheless, she continued, on and on and on…

"We need to call the others," Rosalie eventually said.

"Oh God, Edward," Esme turned to Carlisle, her anxiety racketing up into the extreme.

Alice wasn't even listening anymore, "BELLA!"

Her movements became imperceptible blurs once again as she took off along the shoreline, re-running the circuit she had already made possibly a thousand times – back and forth, back and forth. She showed no hint of stopping, and, as inexhaustible as vampires were, she could likely run that route forever.

_Jake? _Sam said.

_I know, I'm already heading back_

Under Jake's feet, the thick forest floor blurred past.

…..

**Thank you for reading. Please review/fav/follow – when you do it prompts me to write more. **


	3. Chapter 3 - Underworld, Bella

**Thanks to all who read/review/follow/fav – I love to see those counts go up. Smiles. Hope you guys enjoy this one, it's more of a transition chapter but it needed to be done. The story progresses faster from here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. **

**Nemma**

…

Chapter 3: Underworld – Bella POV

Nausea and pain rolled through me in ever-tightening waves. Colour was a blurred concept; it swirled around me in a foggy miasma. I was conscious that someone was carrying me, every move they made, though subtle, jarred my head like a gong.

One of the Cullens had me. That had to be it.

That had to be why everything was flying past at such speed. The arm that held me was ice-cold and marble-hard. Relief! I was flooded with the sense that everything was going to be alright. I was safe. I was heading home. With those comforting thoughts, I began to relax… though the ache in my neck bugged me and my head _throbbed_. How had I hurt them anyway? I couldn't remember… and it didn't seem to matter right now.

I drifted, and as I did I thought of Edward this morning, of how happy he'd looked. Was I going to be well enough for the wedding after this? What if we had to postpone?-

A jolt wrenched me to one side and I cringed as the pain in my neck flared.

Oow!

Whichever Cullen held me was not being gentle.

I twisted around, with every intention of telling whoever it was to _slow down_, and then I saw what held me.

Burning bright eyes, shiny hair of ebony black, pearlescent skin…

It turned slightly, to face me as we speeded along a blurring blue vortex, and as it did it opened its mouth and _hisssssed_.

Not a Cullen.

I screamed, which was possibly the worst thing I could have done. As soon as my oxygen supply was gone I gasped, only, there was no air. No air!

There was water everywhere! The blue vortex was made of it!

And I breathed it all in.

Searing liquid flooded my lungs. I choked, gagging. My lungs burned!

_No air!_

That realisation provoked a whole new level of panic and I fought with what strength I had. Base animal instinct came into play; it wasn't only conscious fighting, I fought on an instinctive level, I scratched and flailed. I fought for my very survival… and failed.

Pressure beat down on my temples, increasing the ache until it was unbearable. I couldn't breathe… I couldn't fight… I could barely move…

Soon my pointless battle with my own body ended, and as the creature – whatever it was – towed me along, I was swept into darkness.

…

Dizzying…

Everything was so dizzying…

Colours faded in and out, lights shone and dimmed…

Vague recollections spun on the periphery, barely known: _Edward's smile, my wedding dress, bacon toasties, a girl on the sand…_ what had happened to her?

Coming to, I strained to focus, and as I did I remembered details… _The girl on the beach was cold but not dead, she had risen… She had such mesmerising eyes… My phone fell into the sand… there was a piercing pain in my neck and Alice was screaming across the line… _"Bella, Hold on! We're coming for you!"

The obvious realisation came to me, nearly overwhelming in its relief.

It was a dream; just a horrible dream. When I opened my eyes I would see that. Perhaps if I could pin-point the last thing I knew was real, I could ferret out where this nightmare had begun, because it had to be that, didn't it? It was just some really twisted nightmare. And it wouldn't be the first time that I'd had one of those.

Opening my eyes, I saw that my room was pitch-black. That wasn't right, even at night my room had light, from the hall or the moon and stars. Why was it so dark?

An icy chill coated my skin, piercing like tiny needles all over. I shivered. _So cold_…

Think!

This wasn't my room. I sensed it. Casting my mind back I tried to remember how I had ended up in this dark place: I was racing, flying through the water with unimaginable speed…

_She's waking…_

_Hush and wait…_

Fuzzy images flashed before of my eyes, like watching the world through a waterfall. Everything was streaked and water roared in my ears. The chill worsened, becoming so cold it was painful. It felt like my blood would crystallise with ice and frost would grow across my skin. Like when I had the stomach flu and I was freezing all over. I felt so weak…

The blurriness cleared a little, darkness ebbed, and then I was staring at a stone room.

I blinked, I blinked again, _hard_.

There were women there, lining all the walls and staring intently.

Their eyes were cold and frightening… and in the shadows they _glowed_.

My heart took off, setting a frantic new pace. _Edward_, it thrummed, _where are you?_

I cast about frantically. _Searching for an escape route?_ Instinct dictated that I should, but this dark room was confined and unlimited all at once. I saw the women and nothing more. The area beyond them was an unknowable void.

My muscles wouldn't respond, not even with the surges of adrenaline. I could barely move. _Why couldn't I move? What was wrong with my legs?!_

One woman stood out over all the others – with skin of porcelain white and hair as black as coal. _The girl from the beach…_ The one that attacked me. Another icy throb assaulted my head and I keeled back, clutching my temples. Why was I in pain?

The girl smiled, with dazzling perfect detachment, displaying rows of pristine white teeth and… Were those _fangs_?

Through the blur I looked at her, trying to concentrate through the ache. She had all of the characteristics, but the vampires I knew definitely didn't have fangs. I looked closer and… yes, her eyes weren't red. _Not Red!_ The relief was short-lived. These women may not be vampires but they were definitely something. And that something was _predatory_.

She had fangs for Christ's sake, only predators had fangs!

It was like I'd been drawn back in time, into that dreadful room in Volterra where I stood before Aro awaiting his judgement, but I'd had Edward with me then, and Alice.

This time I was alone, so very alone.

"W-who are you?" I tried to say, my voice a bare rasp.

Her mouth opened but there was no speech. There was nothing but shrill white noise.

_Who are these women? What do they want? Why drag me down here? …Why haven't I drowned yet?_ I remembered gulping in water, so much water… It burnt my lungs.

I opened my mouth – perhaps to ask – and a stream of bubbles flowed in front of my nose and up towards the ceiling. Oh God.

Water; I was _under_ water! _How_ was I still breathing?

Panic should have been my first response but this was all so strange that it hardly seemed real, and I felt so cold and weak. All I could do was cringe into a ball and stare at the shadowy women. My eyes blurred so much in the dark that I could barely see their faces.

After a time the noise became different, the change was subtle and slow but I did notice. In the midst of their shrill screeches there were other sounds; strange but familiar. Words, perhaps? Scratchy and grating and difficult to understand but words, yes.

"She _is_ interesting," said a girl with flowing blond hair. Her words became more articulate by the second. "Where did you find her, Mara?"

"Out by Calla's Bay," the dark-haired woman said. "I think she will serve well enough."

I awoke with a vengeance then. Launching up I dived for the wall – searching for any opening, any exit I could reach. Talon-like hands held me back, nails scratching skin. The women! Their attempts to hinder me only exaggerated my fright. I twisted, I lashed out.

I screeched.

I screeched so loud I could have shattered glass. The sound stopped me dead.

_What was that? That wasn't my scream… it couldn't have been_.

My pause gave them the opportunity they needed to pull me back and hold me down. Before them the frightening one appeared – the one from the beach with hair like night.

"Calm yourself," she said, almost languidly. "Everything is going to be alright."

_Alright? Alright! How could everything be alright?!_

"We mean you no harm," she continued. "I am sorry for the pain, it will pass."

"Who are you?" I managed to choke out, and a part of me was astonished that it came out clearly in the water. "Do you work for the Volturi? Did Aro send you? We had a deal!"

"Aro?" she frowned. "I know nothing of this Aro of whom you speak."

"Then… who are you?" I looked then, really looked, travelling the length of her body from her flowing black hair to her exposed naval… all the way down her scaled legs. Wait…_ scaled legs! _They melded together, almost gracefully, ending in a membranous forked tail.

"_What are you?_" I asked on a breath.

The woman smiled; a lethal show of teeth.

"Doubtless, you already have a name for my kind, do you not?"

I did, there was only one that really fit, but… it couldn't be right.

"Mermaid," I said. The word felt wrong on my tongue, too… bizarre.

She only smiled, showing those lethally pointed teeth.

_Vampires and werewolves was one thing, but Mermaids… really? _

I looked around at the rest of the women and, yes, they all bore the same scaled tails in place of legs – all in varying colours, from midnight black to the silver of coins. _Just when I thought there were no more supernaturals left to discover, the world surprises me yet again_.

"Where am I?" I grated, looking about the dark room – it was like a cave – but the ache in my neck roared back into focus, making my flinch. When I placed a hand to it I found a long, gaping slit – on both sides.

"What did you do to me…?" I rasped. I felt so strange.

_What do you think? _The thought arose, but it felt foreign, as if it wasn't my own.

"I changed you," the woman said, as flippantly as one would comment on the weather. "I made you one of my own."

"I… what?"

This didn't make any sense, my neck hurt so much. My throat felt raw, my legs numb.

"You can feel it, can't you?" she said. "The transformation is already underway. Those slits in your neck that you're pawing at, those are gills. That's how you're breathing right now, how you're talking. Your blood will likely flow with the chill of ice and your skin will feel numb as if it has withstood the caress of frost."

Through a veil of fog, I tried to focus on her words. Had she said transformation? Almost unwillingly, I pulled up, against their restraining arms, and looked down to my numb unfeeling legs…

It was as beautiful as it was horrifying. Where my legs should have been, an icy blue tail emerged, tinted with golden scales and ending in a pair of translucent membranous fins…

There was only one appropriate response for that – panic!

"Calm, be calm," the woman urged as the others held me fast – damn their iron grips!

"I'm like you?" I gasped, horrified and weak and cold. "I'm _going_ to be like you?"

"Yes," she said simply.

_No!_ "You're saying that I'm a mermaid?"

She looked pointedly at the tail. "Yes."

_This is too much_, I thought, _too absurd_.

"It's not as absurd as you'd think, given the extent of the supernatural world."

I ignored her, only asking, "Who are you?"

_At last, a reasonable question. _"My name is Mara. I am leader of this colony."

"Mara," I said, striving for calm, "you're the one who brought me here?"

I knew she was. I could never forget that face, but I wanted her to admit it.

"Yes," she said, blank-faced.

"Then you should know that there are people who will miss me, people who will come looking for me." _Edward would tear this place apart to find me._

The smile she released was slow and languorous.

"Oh, I doubt that anyone will ever find you here."

I glanced around again, quickly. Where was I? I still didn't know. The last place I remembered being was the beach and we were clearly not there anymore.

My skin chilled, impossibly colder. _Stay calm_.

"How long have I been here?"

While I waited for her answer my mind reeled. Edward would look for me, I knew he would, he would scour the earth, but would he even know that I was missing yet? When he did…

The woman, Mara, cocked her head, considering.

"Three days," she said.

_Three days_ and they hadn't come, _Edward_ hadn't come.

There were very few reasons that that could be and most of them I stringently refused to acknowledge. This woman must have brought me somewhere that was very hard to find.

_Of course it's hard to find_, my mind screamed, _it's submerged!_

While I gasped, trying to think and feeling the ice-flow of water in my lungs, the women watched.

"What is your name?" Mara spoke clearly now, at least to my ears, with a tone so pronounced and understandable that it was almost regal.

"Your name, girl," she insisted, much sharper this time, more demanding.

"B-Bella… Bella Cullen," I responded, automatically.

The future name was not really mine to claim yet, at least by law, but I felt that it was mine by right. I should be able to use it if I wanted. And I wanted that connection to Edward.

"Bella Cullen," she repeated.

Mara seemed to contemplate it for a long time, tasting the name as one would wine for bouquet and texture. Soon she nodded, in apparent approval.

"You belong to us now. Welcome to the Sisterhood, Bella Cullen."

…

**Chapter 4 is already being edited. **

**As always, please let me know if you would like to read more.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Nemma**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Colony

**Thanks to all of you who've shown an interest in Strange Scales – you guys keep me smiling. Bella chapter here, hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

**Nemma**

… 

Chapter 4: The Colony – BPOV

"What am I going to do?" I muttered as I crouched alone in a darkened corner.

The mermaids were gone now. Mara, their apparent leader, simply said, "Give her some space, she needs time to adjust," in her flavoured, what-sounded-like-Russian accent. And they left me alone to wallow in my own crushing despair. I had promise Charlie so faithfully that I wouldn't go anywhere near the beach and what had I done?To be fair I hadn't gone anywhere near _that_ beach. The beach I had been attacked on was in the opposite direction of the one up by Port Angeles where that kid had been found. I hadn't even been planning to step on the shore, it should have been safe. That knowledge wasn't much of a consolation right now though.

I suddenly remembered my lunch date with Charlie – I'd let him down. Again. I'd even gone as far as to say: "Sharks and wild bears couldn't keep me away." Well maybe they couldn't but apparently mermaids had.

For some reason that thought hit hardest, and I clutched at my chest trying to obscure the hollow ache that stemmed from there. The ache in my neck had long since passed, and my legs, or rather tail, was mobile once again. Now it was my heart that hurt.

Worse still were thoughts of Edward. I pined for him most of all. He would be frantic, crazed. Did he think I was dead? _No, don't think on it!_

Some of the last words I had said to him were, "I'll see you in a few hours."

Another promise broken

Even though none of this was my fault, I still felt ashamed – at myself and my uncanny ability to hurt those I loved me. I redirected my thinking; it hurt too much to focus on him. Instead, I thought about my situation.

Mermaids, I was still having trouble with the concept. It was just so… unbelievable. If I'd been composing a list of my next potential supernatural creature run-ins vicious mermaids wouldn't have made the top-ten, hell, they wouldn't have even made the list. If mermaids existed, what else was out there? Next it would be Demons and Angels.

I sighed, looking down at the ice-blue tail that was yet to vanish.

Becoming a Mermaid… This hadn't been in the plan. I'd had it all laid out in a nice neat order: leave Charlie and Renée with the best resolution I could give them, let Alice have her fun with the wedding, and tie myself to Edward in every human way before becoming immortal. Now, my plan was totally, tragically and irrevocably _messed up_.

Throwing my hands over my face, I squashed my palms into my eyes and groaned.

"Carry on like that and your eyes will bleed," a rather sly voice said. "Not a pretty sight. Not to mention the fact that you won't _have_ any sight."

Carefully looking up through my tresses of floating hair, I saw a girl in the opening to my dark room. She was young, perhaps a year older than me, with masses of dark red hair and a waving green tail. Her smile was crooked, and not in a cute way, it was almost a sneer.

"Go away."

My voice wasn't the least bit accommodating. I didn't want interruptions, especially uninvited interruptions of the mermaid variety. I'd had enough of them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl said, in a voice that was anything but apologetic. She placed a hand over her heart in mock sincerity. "Am I interrupting your pity parade?"

I snarled, and was shocked that I had. _Where had that come from? _Tips of fangs pressed down, elongating to indent my bottom lip and I cringed, hunching down to wind my arms around my legs – err, tail. It wasn't smooth like skin, but almost metallic. Lips quivering, I tried not to look at the tiny interlocking discs of scales that now covered everything below my torso, as my arms tightened and I dropped my face, hiding in my floating tresses of hair.

"Ah, still working through the mermaid motions," she nodded, knowingly, "that parts a bitch. Still, you seem more depressed than our usual haul. Resenting the change a bit, are we?"

I didn't say anything, just glared from my corner.

"Uh-huh," she said, and held up her hands. "I get it, you don't want to talk. That's fine because I don't want to listen. See, we're already getting along _so_ well."

I frowned. "Who are you?" I asked as the fangs retracted. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, glad you asked," the girl grinned. "I am Riana."

She made a show of curtseying. And she actually pulled it off quite gracefully, considering the tail.

"Mara has assigned me to be your mentor and teacher," she grimaced as if at a bad taste. "Ick, that makes me sound so old. Sigh, the last thing I ever swore I'd be when I grew up was a teacher, oh well, time and tides."

She shrugged and I started to wonder if this girl had some kind of mental problem, she acted a little strangely. _She's a mermaid, of course she's strange_, my mind barked.

"Anyway, I'm supposed to show you around, show you how to hunt, track, and generally how to act like a badass little mermaid." She looked me up and down. "Although, in your case I may have to reconsider the badass part, you look kind of wimpy to me."

The snarl rose in my chest again, like a swarm of angry bees as the fangs re-sharpened. This girl, this Riana, really knew how to push on my nerves.

She chirped up immediately, "That's the spirit. Now c'mon, I'll show you around."

Feeling the weight of my despair pressing down on me, I hunched backwards, pressing into the wall behind. The stone was smooth and cold and I just wanted to huddle, alone, in my dark corner and mope about what a hag Fate could be. I had no interest in doing anything else.

Riana's smile faltered. "Look, I get that this probably wasn't what you envisioned as an ideal future. I bet this change has crushed your dreams, or ruined some major I'm-going-to-be-a-singer career but hey, it's happened. _So_, you can either wallow in self-pity in this miserable excuse for a bedroom, which will inevitably accomplish nothing, or…" she reached out a hand towards me, "you can come with me and take a look around. What'll it be?"

She had a point, wallowing was useless.

"I'll even show you where we hide our secret stash of surface contraband…" she sang.

_Perhaps if I get a good look around this place I can find a way out. Perhaps I can find my way back to Edward. _That thought alone gave me the energy I needed. It flooded my body with hope, and reaching out I took her hand.

She grinned, hefting me up. "Awesome."

… 

Riana, as I quickly found, was vivacious. She had a sparking personality, like a match just lit, but she was sardonic too, and deeply sarcastic.

"By the way, we're roomies," she had said, the second she had pulled me up, "so you'll be seeing a hell of a lot more of my pretty face."

I think my mouth dropped open. This girl was sharing my room… err… cave? _How was I supposed to escape with one of them watching my every move? _

"You're thrilled I know," she nodded solemnly, "not many are as lucky to be graced with my incandescent company, but save your appreciation until the end of the tour."

With Riana leading the way, we swam from the dark room out into what appeared to be a vast hallway. It was a strange feeling, not to walk from the room, but to swim. Stranger still was that I couldn't even swim as I used to – with two legs – I had to kick and flip with my one powerful tail. It propelled me swiftly through the dark water and even in the limited light its scales caught and glittered. _So bizarre_… The water around me, though, was cool and comforting across my skin – _all_ of my skin. What had they done with my clothes?

"We live in an underwater cave system," Riana told me, "it maps the ocean floor for miles and miles. I still don't know how far it reaches and I've been here for a _long_ time."

As we swam, the darkness dimmed. There was no natural light; the underwater illumination had a greenish glow that made everything look all the more ghoulish.

"What is that?" I asked. "Where is that light coming from?"

"Glad you asked."

She pointed to a tentacled anemone sat on the wall – a squat little creature with bioluminescent colours that glowed green and yellow. There wasn't just the one either; as we swam their numbers grew. They coated the walls, lighting our way.

"Pretty cool, huh," the red-head said.

There wasn't just one colour either. There were: pinks and lilacs, oranges and blues. They cast off light like a dying rainbow.

I tried to listen, to take in every word that she said – who knew which bit of information could be the most vital to my escape – but with my head aching as it was, it was hard, so hard. An incessant buzz was drilling into my mind – was it an after-effect of the change?

"Now, on your right," she continued, "you will see a set of tunnels…"

It was extensive, just tunnel after tunnel after tunnel. As we moved further, her descriptions washed over me until they lost all meaning. Not that she was putting that much effort into it in the first place, considering her commentary.

"…another tunnel followed by a tunnel, a tunnel and, oh, wait… _another tunnel_. That's a tunnel too…"

I imagined this was what living as a worm would feel like.

"So," I said, in an attempt at pleasantness, "you guys have a lot of tunnels, then?"

She turned to eye me warily, probably wondering at my sudden participation.

"Oh yeah, its tunnel madness down here," she smiled, and for the first time it seemed genuine. "The only thing you really have to remember is the location of your own tunnel and the store-tunnels, it won't be too hard. Plus, you'll have me to show you the ropes for the next few weeks. If you get lost just screech and someone will find you and show you the way. Anyway, you distracted me, now I've lost my place, oh yeah, on you right there's a tunnel…"

And so it continued. As we progressed, my hopes of finding an escape route quickly began to diminish. How was I supposed to find my way around, let alone out? Everything looked the same – all the tunnels and all the caves. And it was all dark. Endless dark…

"Ah, and now for the pièce de résistance…" she paused at a corner up ahead and light flooded across her face.

"Is it another tunnel?" I asked.

Snorting, she turned away, and with a grand arms-out gesture, she pulled me to her side and revealed the vast space beyond.

"No, it's _the dome_!"

The thing was massive; perhaps five hundred meters wide by… well I had never been very good at calculus. It was unbelievably huge, and pitted on all sides with tunnels on every level. Riana and I had emerged from one of the lowest caves which only served to enhance the grandeur of the mermaid's lair.

As I stared – half-awed, half-horrified – at the massive beehive-like structure before us, Riana continued with her tour-guide façade.

"This is the epicentre of our colony. The communal hub if you will. You will find the exits are located here and… Oh, hang on, there is only one exit. That's not very safe. You'd think management would have been more careful and account for fire regulations, but since we're underwater that apparently got overlooked. So if there is a fire, we'll all drown."

I barely heard her past the part where she said 'one exit.'

"Where is the exit?" I quickly asked, too quickly. "I didn't see where you pointed."

With one eyebrow raised, she simply lifted a finger skyward.

I followed it, up and up and up… There was no ceiling, only one massive opening in the roof that allowed light from the water's surface to filter down into the dome. And below it there were many other shapes, shadows, flitting about.

Mermaids swam, glittering in the sun, the way honey-bees buzzed about a hive. They did buzz too; the incessant trill of their chatter filled the water.

"How many are there?" I asked, breathless. The sheer numbers were overwhelming.

"_We_," Riana stressed, "number at about three thousand… in this colony."

I only saw girls too; there was not one boy among them.

One thought echoed hollowly in my head: how was Edward ever supposed to find me?

"Okay, now for the serious stuff," the red-head clapped her hands together. "There are only a select few rooms or _areas_ really that you need to know about: One, the food court – which is really just a massive stock-room; two, the meat-locker, although you won't be allowed in there for a few weeks yet. Three…"

My focus slipped. That incessant buzzing still drilled into my head. What _was_ that?

"It's simply an after-effect of the change," Riana said, "don't worry, it'll go off."

I stopped dead, looking at her.

"I didn't ask that out loud."

She paused, starting to grimace. That was the look people got when they 'let the ball drop'.

"Can you…" No, the idea was too horrible, "can you _read my_ _thoughts_?"

No, no one could read my thoughts! Not even Edward! This was… this was…

"Alright, don't panic again, I don't want to have to deal with a meltdown like the one you had when you arrived. Mara wouldn't like that either. So, just… deep breaths, okay?"

Swimming back, she took hold of my shoulders and stared into my eyes.

…_Calm?_

The thought, so clear in my mind, felt horribly foreign, not my own. And now that I thought back, I could remember a few moments like this when I had woken up – thoughts that did not feel quite like mine. Misery consumed me – they could read my thoughts. All I could do was stare at Riana, stare into her shining green eyes – they were so sharp the colour almost glowed.

"I'm not going to sugar-coat it," she said, carefully. "We can all read thoughts, every single one of us. We all read each other's, it's like this telepathic link we all share."

_The incessant buzzing_, I thought.

"Yes," she nodded, "you'll get used to it. We all do. I can even show you how to block it a little, and how to listen only when you want to. But it'll take time."

_Time… TIME! I needed to block out my thoughts _now! They were mine, my own. Oh God, had she heard me plotting to escape? My eyes darted.

"Hey, look," she said, "it's nothing to be worried about. We all have our own dark secrets and half of the time we just bypass them. We try to give each other as much privacy as we can." She paused then, gifting me with a sad little smile. "And you aren't the only newbie to hold onto thoughts of escape. That's natural, but it passes. It always does."

A mire of depression swept me under. Did anyone ever escape this place? How many others were there here like me? How many had been taken from their homes? …How many had managed to return? I knew the answer to that last question would be bleak.

Riana sighed. "I can literally _feel_ how miserable you are right now. How about we take your mind off your impending despair, huh?"

_What do you mean? _I thought at her, but she only smiled, holding out a hand.

"Come on, come meet the others. They've been waiting to meet you."

They flocked forth then, as it at some invisible signal. The dome was suddenly full of mermaids and as Riana led me into the centre of the sandy floor they circled and flitted through shafts of light. Their colours shimmered magnificently: liquid gold and platinum, sapphire blues and ruby reds, and as I stared my trepidation began to wane. These were no creatures to be feared, they were exquisite, beautiful beyond belief! The sudden urge to accept them as such was nearly overwhelming. A little voice at the back of my mind screamed at me – that these were not my thoughts, not my feelings, they were other – but it was easily quelled beneath the mass. With the mermaids came a flood of words and emotion – nonsensical and fully-formed, enthusiastic and intrigued. There was no malice, no hostility, just interest; and they fluttered about like butterflies or flashing fish in a rainbow shoal. _Sister_, they called – a thousand silent voices at once.

Beneath the myriad of consuming thought I began to drown, in an entirely different way. I felt myself slipping, losing my grip, losing myself. I was swept away on a tide of _their_ making, and I began to forget how I had come to be here, and why I should be afraid. There was no room for fear. Not among my own kind, not among my sisters.

_Edward_, that little voice screamed, but it faded fast.

I forgot about the surface-world, I forgot about my mother and my father, I forgot about school and my friends. And I forgot about the girl was who had once been Bella Swan…

… 

**Originally this whole story was Bella POV through and through but that was kind of restrictive, so I'm expanding out on POVs. Someone requested an Edward appearance… and roll on chapter 5.**

**Please review/follow/fav – and I will keep on typing. **

**Nemma**


	5. Chapter 5 - Realisation

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

**Enjoy, Nemma**

… 

Chapter 5: Realisation – Jacob POV

The car was in flames. It was just lying there, in flames, while Edward tore rocks the size of boulders out of the coastline and smashed them into dust. This had been going on for some time now. He'd been like this ever since he'd gotten back.

Jacob had watched Edward first through Sam's eyes as he'd smashed the jeep into a line of trees and tore past him onto the beach followed by Jasper and Emmett without so much as one look back at the then-smoking wreck. Then he had watched through Seth's eyes as Edward tracked and re-tracked and tracked the scent again while some mechanical malfunction caused the car to ignite. Jacob had lost count of how many times and how many routes Edward had taken now. But they all led him back to his original place – the beach.

Her scent went no further than there.

And it was driving him crazy.

The drying blood was driving him craz_ier_.

"BELLA!" Edward shouted across the sea.

Alice had long since quieted her cries, now she just stared, stood and stared like a marble statue with glassy eyes across the blue horizon.

Jacob finally joined them in person – or rather, in wolf – as Carlisle was making yet another vain attempt to calm Edward down.

"Son, please," he beseeched, as the car's orange flames danced and whooshed, "let us just take a moment to talk about this, to think this through. We might-"

"-No, Carlisle," he practically snarled as water ran in rivulets from his sodden bronze hair, he had been in and out of the lapping waves non-stop, "every moment I pause is another moment she is in danger! I can't stop, I can't! If I do she might… she might be…"

Edward's face crumpled, but only for a fraction of a second, in the next instant he was gone – a white blur across the landscape.

In silence, Jacob padded from the outlying bracken onto the beaches' crunchy shale.

_Edward's already checked that route_, Seth thought sadly from where he sat beneath a pine tree, _five hundred and fifty two times… _

_I know, _Jacob thought, _I've been counting too_.

_Hey Bro! _Seth sat up and wagged his tail. _I didn't know you were this close_.

_I passed the Washington border about an hour ago. You were too preoccupied to notice. _Both of their thoughts sank as a painfully familiar face flashed across their minds – dark hair, so shiny and beautiful, those chocolate brown eyes – Jacob wasn't even sure whose the memory was. It could have been either one of theirs. _Any chance I missed something while I was running?_ Jacob asked as he winced. He hoped, perhaps…

_No, no news, no leads, nothing. It's like she just vanished into thin air…_

Seth shook his head, stupefied, and Jacob silently wandered ahead of him.

Sam was not far from the shore, Leah and Embry flanked him as he stoically watched the six vampires debate amongst themselves. Their voices were so fast that they were nothing more than a buzz – _stupid vampire speech_. It was creepy.

"Perhaps if we call the Denali's," Rosalie chimed in, "maybe this time they will help?"

Carlisle's face turned stony. "Remember what they asked of us last time, Rosalie? That is not a price I am willing to pay, and neither should you be."

"We need to expand our search grid," the scarred male added, stepping forward, "and we _need_ more people to search if we are to make better progress."

Sam stepped forward and huffed. _You have our full co-operation_, he thought, _our protection applies to Bella too. She is still human_.

Carlisle stared at him for a moment, before sighing. "I'm so sorry, Sam. Without Edward here to translate, I have no idea what you're saying."

Sam only nodded in response, chagrined.

Jacob didn't care to listen what they had to say and none of the leeches acknowledged him as he padded past. Sam nodded slightly in his direction and from Embry's thoughts he could sense pity. He ignored them all, looking only to the mark ahead on the beach.

The dark patch stood out like an accusation, dark red on the pebbles.

Jake sniffed. Yeah, there was no denying it – the blood was Bella's. He'd known before but had wanted to examine it himself, to smell it, to see it. And he realised then that some part of his mind had been hoping that it wasn't real, that someone had made a mistake, but no.

A white blur whooshed past him, spraying pebbles as it flew in the opposite direction.

Jacob didn't even have to sniff to know it was Edward.

There was a roar, frighteningly loud, and an almighty SMASH!

"Edward, please," Carlisle said, though with no real volume.

Another smash followed, more boulders pulverised. A tree was torn from its roots; soil flew in a gritty arch fifty feet high. Bark turned to splinters, rock to dust. And still he did not stop, showed no signs of calming. The destruction continued.

_Finally he's showing what kind of monster he really is_, Jacob thought absently, _and Bella isn't around to see it_.

When the chaos quieted and the dust settled, Edward stood amidst the rubble looking blankly at his dirty hands. He looked at them as if he did not know them, as if he couldn't understand what he saw. He blinked and the confusion cleared. Then he turned on his sister.

"Alice, you _have_ to have seen something since it happened," he snapped, striding towards her with fiercely black eyes. Those eyes chilled like dark voids, both terrifying and infinite. "Something," he continued, "anything, the tiniest detail, a vague flash?"

Beneath such desperate fury, his sister seemed to shrink.

"I…I-I don't know-"

"What do you mean you _don't know_?!" he demanded. Those black eyes burned, spearing her in place.

There was a flash of white and another one of those leeches was at her side – the one with honey blond hair and innumerable scars. He stood half in front of Alice, as if he meant to shield her. Jacob remembered then that this was Alice's mate, Jasper.

"Edward…" he said, a low growl.

Edward didn't even seem to notice him. His burning gaze was locked on Alice.

"I just _don't know_," Alice wailed. Lips quivering, she fell to her knees. "Everything is black. Pitch black, it's like… it's like…" she seemed to struggle, not finding the words. Jake had never seen a vampire so lost. They always had a quick quip for everything.

Finally the little pixie looked up to Edward, communicating with her eyes alone.

"No," he gasped. "Don't even think it."

Shaking his head Edward stepped back, again, and again.

_What?_ Jacob frowned. _What had she thought?_

"No!" Edward barked. "SHE IS NOT DEAD!"

And he was gone again.

A distant ripping noise signalled another tree being uprooted. A snarl, a smash…

As Jasper knelt quietly by Alice's side, she hung her head, pressing her forehead into the sand and raking up trenches of sand with her nails as she gasped wordless sobs.

Jacob was at a loss. Around him the other werewolves shuffled just as uncomfortably. Vampires weren't supposed to be human, they weren't supposed to have human emotions, let alone express them so violently… and to see them do that now was nothing short of bizarre.

Leah growled, not liking the uncertainty. Paul shuffled; confusion prominent in his thoughts. Sam's mind was simply logistical, trying to assess the situation and how it might be resolved. He tried, and failed, to think of any way they might get Bella back… unharmed.

Jake flinched at that, vainly trying to block out the hopelessness in Sam's thoughts.

Another roar, another boom like thunder… and the cliff-face crumbled into the sea.

Everybody froze, staring.

The whole, freaking, cliff-face!

Rocks and dirt and debris tumbled down in an unearthly roar, taking a few trees with them as the avalanche built. They collided with the dark surf, and the sea frothed up where they fell, forming a tidal wave that travelled out to splash upon the shale and their feet.

Everyone stood perfectly still.

Edward had just torn a chunk out of the La Push landscape.

_Wow_, Jacob thought into the stony silence, _well that was overkill_.

Edward was suddenly in his face – blazing black eyes burned into him with such rage that before Jake could think about it he'd stumbled back and fallen onto his haunches.

"And how do you think I should be reacting, DOG?!" Edward snarled. "Should I sit meekly by and just watch like a mindless imbecile? Do you think that what you're doing is going to achieve any better results?!"

_Hey-_

"I thought you loved her," his voice turned scathingly cold. "From what I can hear of your thoughts you could hardly care about her disappearance less!"

_Whoa, wait a sec-_

"I was wrong before. I see that now." He nodded, almost solemnly, but his lips curled to bare lethally sharp teeth. "I should never have even entertained the possibility of stepping aside for the likes of _you_. You think you could give Bella a better life than I ever could, but you don't deserve her, you never could, not in a _million years YOU WITLESS MONGREL!_"

"Edward!" Esme gasped, but Jacob's hackles had already risen.

_I LOVE HER! _he snarled, rising up to face him.

"YOU DON'T SHOW IT!" Edward roared, far beyond fury.

He wanted a fight, Jacob could feel that. And damn if he wanted it too.

_WHY DO THINK I'M HERE! _Jacob snarled back, baring his own teeth – they were just as sharp, sharper! – and pawing the ground. _Do you think I came back just to stare at your smug sparkly face?! Damn it, leech, I've been going out of my MIND watching all this through Seth's eyes! You ARE NOT the only one here who loves Bella! _

In his mind Jacob was screaming. The other wolves heard well enough but beyond their pack-mind all was silent. Jacob panted, trying to get a grip on his fury as he looked about. Everyone was staring at him, at Edward, at them both. But none had moved between them. No one had so much as stepped forward. Not even Carlisle or Sam. They all looked… lost, ragged, beaten…

The usually immaculate Rosalie was a sodden mess, face smeared with sea-salt, hair in tattered disarray. Emmett stood by her, fists clenching and unclenching as if he wished to fight but could see no enemies in sight. Esme silently sobbed dry tears. Carlisle looked on, eyes glazed. Alice was still slumped in the sand, her cheeks streaked with grit and a piece of weed hanging from her hair, while Jasper fretted beside her, his attention solely on her. And around them the wolves paced, nerves frayed to the bitter edge.

_You are not the only one here who loves Bella_, Jake repeated, adding, _and neither am I_.

The energy suddenly drained from him and he sank back to the ground. Behind him, Jake heard the sound of stone hitting pebbles. Edward had collapsed; crouching on the shale, face in his hands as he groaned. It was awful, the long undulating keen of an animal in agony.

_I've never seen him like this_, Seth thought morosely. _It's like his world has ended_.

As if on some unheard cue, the caramel-haired Esme approached, using slow measured steps as if she were approaching a wild animal that may bolt or strike out at any second. She was the only one that dared to go near him, and her motherly voice was gentle.

"Edward, Edward dear, you do not possess the monopoly on love for Bella," she said. "We all know how much you love her. There is no contesting that. She is your world, I know. But we, all of us here, love her too."

There was a semi-disgruntled huff from Leah, but she said nothing contradictory out loud. Instead she shifted to the shoreline as Esme knelt and drew Edward into her arms.

_What's this?_ Leah asked as she snuffled in the purple-grey shale.

Sam padded over to her and looked while the vampires consoled their own. _Just some fish scales_, he huffed,_ it's nothing_.

_They're odd_, she frowned. _They don't have any scent_.

_Some odd-looking fish-scales are hardly our number one priority right now, Leah_.

Sam's voice was full of exasperation and Jacob felt Leah's pang as he reprimanded her – no matter how quickly she covered it. With a huff she turned.

_Now_, Sam continued, thinking to the rest, _we have to look to our own borders. There is clearly some kind of threat in the region and while we will help in this search for Bella_ – Jacob felt a flash of hopelessness that Sam did not voice – _we have our own to protect. I want double shifts, four wolves patrolling at all times, two extra on stand-by. Paul, you'll be…_

Jacob ignored the rest; allowing Sam's words to wash over him like the tide that was slowly washing away the remains of Bella's blood. He didn't feel like Bella was dead. That's what the rest were thinking, even indirectly, but he didn't, he couldn't. He'd know, right? If she was… he'd know somehow…

Jake looked to Edward and saw his dark eyes on him. Edward would know too. Sure he was angry, sure he was stark-raving-vampire-bat-shit crazy… but he wasn't distraught.

If Bella was gone, truly gone, he would be distraught.

Edward's nod was barely perceptible but Jake was sure that he saw it.

Jake could almost feel relief… almost, but Bella was still missing. And how on earth were they supposed to track her with no scent-trail to follow?

As if Edward were listening in to his thoughts – and probably the hopeless thoughts of the others – his agonised groaning heightened and he curled further in on himself.

_Cripes, he looks almost as bad as Bella did when he left._

Seth's thoughts did not help. If anything the groans worsened.

After an indefinite – and really awkward – moment, Sam trudged into the treeline, emerging minutes later wearing denim cut-off shorts and rubbing a tanned hand through his sheared short hair.

"Sam," Carlisle said, a greeting and a question in one.

"It was too difficult to talk otherwise," Sam said, "and I think we all need to sit down and talk this through."

Somehow, with that statement, the tension seemed to break. And given something else to focus on, Sam, the wolves, Carlisle and all of his coven but Esme and Edward, huddled into a loose circle and began to discuss options – as vague as they were.

Jake did not join them. Instead, he watched Esme as she tried to comfort Edward on the pebbly sand. Her graceful face was so kind and so loving. She actually did look like his mother, and he actually looked like her son… It was creepy. She even muttered lovingly in his ear as she held onto him and stroked his hair.

"Not Italy, not Italy…" It sounded like she was muttering, on a continuous loop. "Please, not Italy, not It-"

"I promised Bella that I would never do that again," he grated in response, quickly adding, "not without proof."

At one point, Jake decided to flit into the bushes and change – luckily he still had one pair of shorts attached to his leg, threadbare but wearable. The others chatted back and forth, discussing various options that all sounded like dead-end routes. Jake hardly paid attention. He couldn't afford to, not if he was to stay sane.

After a while the others dispersed; Sam and the wolves to patrol the perimeter in groups of two or three, looking for any leads, and Carlisle and his coven, well… from what Jake had barely overheard, it sounded like Emmett and Rosalie were to search the far south while Jasper went north with the wolves. Carlisle and Alice were to return to their home and make some important phone calls.

When everyone started to leave, Carlisle turned to Esme and Edward where they sat.

"Edward," he said, kind and understanding, "please, son, return to the house with us."

His coaxing tone did nothing. Edward wasn't going to budge anytime soon.

"Someone needs to stay here," Edward eventually muttered, so low that even Jake with his heightened sense had a hard time catching it. "Just in case… she… Bella might…"

No one knew what to say to that. So no one said anything. After a time, Carlisle sighed, looking more tired than any vampire had a right to, and looked anxiously over his shoulder to the treeline.

"I'll stay with him," Esme said, "you go along and we'll return when we can."

"Okay, love," Carlisle said, clearly relieved, "but try to make it soon. I don't like leaving you out here… with whatever may be on the loose." He shook his head, disturbed, as his eyes flitted across the horizon. Nothing hovered over there but seagulls. "What about you, Jacob? Would you like to return to the house with me and help us there?"

Jake started, surprised he'd asked. Looking past him, he noticed that all of the others had already gone: coven and pack. So much for Team Wolf – they'd left him with the blood-suckers without a second thought. Well, at least they were _that_ invested in getting Bella back.

"Err… I think I'll stay here with these two. Keep watch."

Jacob could see the surprise in Esme's face, even he himself was surprised.

"As you wish," Carlisle nodded, "but know that you are welcome in our house at any time, Jacob."

Before Jake could respond there was a gust of wind and Carlisle was gone. _Eager to sort out his search for Bella_, Jake thought. Well that could only be a good thing.

"He knows that if he loses Bella, he loses me too," a ragged voice said. It sounded nothing like Edward's normally musical cadence. "He loses us both. And he cannot bear the thought of that… two children in one day… why did you stay Jacob?"

Turning back to the remaining pair, Jake saw that Esme was watching him with an almost quizzical expression, but it was to Edward that he spoke, directly and without pause.

"Whatever else you may think of me, you _know_ that I love her too."

There was silence, so long that Jake thought he meant to ignore him completely. It wasn't that he didn't care about Bella. Far from it! It was just that… he couldn't see anything that he could do. Edward, and the Cullens and the Pack before him, had checked and rechecked everything, every route. There were no options left and Jake felt strangely… useless. It _wasn't_ that he didn't care. The silence stretched on, and then…

"I do," Edward muttered into his hands. "I can see that in your thoughts. I've always been able to see it. However much I sometimes wish I couldn't."

Beside him, Esme knelt quietly, her golden eyes watching.

Jake took a deep breath, and released it. "Then you'll know that I'm staying, and that, whatever resentment stands between the two of us… it…" He could hardly believe what he was saying, but the words just kept tumbling out, "…well, it doesn't matter now. Not with what's happened, not with Bella on the line…"

Edward slowly looked up and, for the first time, he seemed to really be listening to him.

"How are you coping with this?" Edward asked. "I've heard your thoughts before. I know how you felt when you were sure you'd lost her. Those feelings are what drove you away. They are why you have been running as a wolf for these past weeks. How are you coping now that Bella's life is in imminent danger and there is nothing that either one of us can do to change that?"

Jake thought about it, considering. "I guess… I just haven't let it sink in." He knew that if he did that'd be it. He'd be useless… likely as useless as Edward, groaning in the sand.

In a flash Edward was up, stood straight on his feet.

Jake grimaced. "I didn't mean-"

"You're right," Edward said, as if with a dawning epiphany. "I'll accomplish nothing succumbing to such fear. Wallowing is useless. Action is what's needed. I need to-"

"-_WE_ need to," Jake interrupted and Edward's eyes snapped up sharply, locking on him. Jacob did not flinch. "I'm here and I'm staying," he said forcefully, "Bella is my best friend, if nothing else. And I'm staying until we get her back."

Edward's nod was barely perceptible. "Until we get her back," he repeated, so faintly that Jacob didn't even hear him. He only saw the movement of his lips. But it was enough.

In those words was conviction.

"Esme," Edward said, his voice sure and strong as he held out a hand, "let us return home, we have a search to plan." Grasping her hand and pulling her up, he turned to Jacob. "We are going to leave no avenue unchecked, no forest or sea uncharted, and no stone unturned… whatever it takes, however long it take, we are _going_ to get Bella back. There is no other option." For a moment, his eyes glazed, becoming black and distant. And as his lips pulled back over his teeth, Jake got a glimpse of the monster beneath – the nightmare that he could truly be. "And God help whoever took her because when I find them…"

"Seconded," Jacob muttered, and, for the very first – and probably only – time, they were in perfect agreement. "And we _will_ find her."

Edward's black eyes pierced him in place, "Agreed."

… 

**So what do you guys think so far? Good, bad? Are the chapters too long too short? Am I getting the characters right? Your comments would be greatly appreciated. **

**Please review/follow/fav – and I'll know to keep going. A big THANKS! to everyone who already has. **

**Nemma**


	6. Chapter 6 - Maritime Life

**First off, thank you everyone for your support. Reviews etc. keep me going with this. There have been some interesting comments so far, it's intriguing to see what you guys are thinking about where this could be going. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

**Enjoy, Nemma**

…

Chapter 6: Maritime Life – Bella POV

At times, it was hard to remember who I was. But eventually I always did.

_Bella, I am Bella. _

There were always so many thoughts buzzing about in the background, like a static orchestra of other sounds, that it was sometimes hard to tell which ones were my own. But the foreign thoughts of my sisters held their own distinct… I didn't know what to call it… flavour, perhaps? They _felt_ different, and after a while, it became easier to tell them apart.

Over time it became too easy to immerse myself in their collective. I forgot about time and its passage, I forgot that I had things I should worry about, people I should consider…

Sometimes I would remember, but the mass of voices would distract me again.

One day, I found myself lounging on the cool sandy floor of the dome with a few others. The water was smooth and relaxing and I stared up at the glittering sunlight above, swishing my icy blue tail and allowing the scales to sparkle. The entrance was there, right above me, but I had no reason to go through it. Why should I? My sisters were inside.

Then I frowned… there was a reason I should leave. _Wouldn't Edward be missing me?_

As I was contemplating this, a shriek down a tunnel announced Riana's arrival. She came baring gifts of tuna and shrimp, and she brought company. Two girls flitted alongside her: a blonde with a sharp red tail and a brunette with silver scales. I had met the blonde before, her name was Lilith, but the other was unfamiliar. A brief perusal of her thoughts told me that she was Tara.

"Lovely day for a picnic," Riana said as she passed me a tuna fillet.

The meat was juicy and lush and my little fangs tore the meat to shreds. As I munched their chattering rolled around me. I had never been a big conversationalist, I had always been the quiet one in class, and even though I wasn't in high school anymore that had not changed, as Riana discovered to her great exasperation. She took to calling me 'the hermit crab' because I so rarely 'stuck my head out of my shell'. It irritated her to no end that I didn't join the ranks as easily as other initiates, but, as always, something seemed to set me apart.

"So I said the Lucrezia," Riana was saying, "I said you can chase her tail all over Dakara but you are not going to get that tooth-pin back!"

I still only understood half of their conversations. Dakara, as I had come to learn, was the name of our vast colony – our underwater Atlantis – but other names that they used eluded me. It wasn't that I couldn't understand their speech; in fact I heard them perfectly. I was still amazed at how easy it was to speak underwater. _It felt just like on land_.

"A benefit of our marvellous gills," Riana added when she caught my thought.

I nodded absently, wondering what Edward would make of this development if he were ever to learn of it. Thoughts of him didn't hurt as much as they used to. I pined for him, sure, but there was no desperate drive to get back to him… I wondered why.

"That will be due to your mermaid emotions," Lilith said, and when I looked up she shrugged, "We have none."

"But I still wanted to go home when I first woke up," I said, "I missed my family terribly." I frowned, remembering the hollow ache I usually got when parted from Edward.

"And now?" Lilith queried as she tore out another hunk of fish with her sharp teeth.

I shrugged. _Now nothing, it has turned into nothing more than a numb patch. _

She nodded as I idly rubbed my stomach – the ragged hole there used to weep. "It all dims with time," she said, "It's the same for everyone. The drive to leave eventually fades."

"It's a shame really," the other girl, Tara, said. "If Bella was really wrought up about her fiancé, we'd have an excuse to bring him down here. Mara could turn him too."

A spike of what could have been alarm pierced my chest, but it was too quickly numbed for me to be sure.

"You know that's not allowed," Lilith said, pinning the girl with a steely glare. "We do _not_ allow men in Dakara. That rule is absolute!"

I wondered at her tone. She sneered the word 'men' like it was an expletive.

"There are always exceptions," Tara muttered.

"Oh," Riana said, and her eyes brightened with understanding – although I didn't know why. "_You're_ that girl the red-headed vamp was after."

I jolted like I'd received an electric shock. "What?" _How had she…?_

I delved into her thoughts and released that she had been absently flicking through _mine_. My image of Edward had intrigued her and she had looked further.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, becoming more and more animated, "she was after some girl that was roped into her mate's death, got real OTT about it. She was manic, created a real mess making her new-born army up in Seattle. We steered clear of the city shores for months once she got into the full flow of things. It was far too dangerous to hang around near that many blood-crazed newborns."

She shivered. But I was still gaping in shock.

"You… know about vampires?"

She cocked her head and looked at me like I was incredibly dense.

_Of course they know_, I thought, _they've read my thoughts_.

"Well yeah, that too," she said slowly, "but _everyone_ here knows about vampires, they're like… our cousin species or something. At least that's what Mara says."

The blonde-haired mermaid, Lilith, added knowledgeably, "If they are the blood-drinkers of the land, we are the blood-drinkers of the sea."

_Wait, what?_ "…You drink blood?"

This was the first I'd heard about it. Although, considering how I'd been taken…

Tara shrugged, negligently, "To an extent."

"Although, I've got to admit," Riana said, "I think vampires got the better end of the deal. On land you can get satellite TV."

"And chocolate," Tara added.

"Yeah," Riana lamented, "I miss that. It's not like we have stacks of it in our food store."

I shook my head, "And everyone knows about Victoria?" All three looked at me blankly, until I added, "The red-head."

"Oh," Tara said, "was that her name?"

"Yeah," Riana nodded, answering my question, "everyone knew, I mean _knows_. That cow was a menace, caused a hell of a lot of trouble to get to… well, _you_, apparently, as well as your coven of yellowed-eyed vamps. You're seriously going to have to tell me the story about that at some point, it's got to be more gripping than mine."

Due to the whole telepathic-thought-connection thing these mermaids had going on, my whole life was laid bare. They saw and read it all. For the first time in my life I could truly sympathise with Jake's situation – it was awful. I might have been more upset about it if they had found my mind anything more than slightly interesting, but for the most part they glossed over the details and left me with what privacy they could. They truly tried too, their thoughts could attest to that – I could read them as easily as they could read my own – and I tried to extend them the same courtesy… but what Riana had said intrigued me.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

I was truly curious, but I was also desperate to deflect the conversation.

"Glad you asked, happy to tell." She cleared her throat theatrically. "One dark, moonless night last fall, I was roaming the streets of Seattle… Pretty cool start, huh?"

"Why were you roaming the streets at night?" I asked, frowning.

She shrugged. "I was clubbing it, lost my mates. What, you didn't think I was whoring, did ya?"

"No," I gasped. "I didn't mean-"

"-I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," she cut me off, laughing, "As is my usual prerogative." Riana, I had come to learn, had a really odd sense of humour. "Anyway," she continued, "this guy jumped me. I thought I was being mugged and he was after my bag." She laughed bitterly, "apparently not. I don't remember that much – it happened really fast – but I do remember these creepily red eyes, and I mean like freaking bright red, and then this ripping agony in my throat. I struggled, _obviously_, I even maced the guy, didn't do much good as I'm sure you can imagine."

She paused, considering. "I wonder… if it'd been garlic, would it have worked?"

I shook my head sadly.

"Darn, oh well."

I frowned. "I thought you knew about vampires?"

"We do," Lilith nodded, "but we're a little sketchy on the details. Hey, it's not like we hang out with them on a regular basis and they're not always too happy to dish out trade secrets either. We might be sort of like family, _species-wise_, but we're just not that close."

"Yeah," Riana added, "we're the kind of family that keeps vague contact through birthday cards and only sees each other on the high-holidays, if then."

"Okay," I said, "so what happened to you, Riana? Obviously the vampire didn't turn you."

"The red-heads newborns weren't exactly tidy with their kills but apparently my attacker was a neat-freak and he cleaned up – lucky for me."

She sighed and her thoughts grew a little darker.

"He mustn't have noticed that I wasn't completely dead, or he just didn't care, cause he took me down to the docks. There was this little place where a few of the newborn vamps used to dump bodies. He'd drained me to near-death but my heart was still beating slowly and I was still aware of things. He threw me in and left without a backward glance. Guess he thought if he hadn't killed me the water would."

She shrugged, the darkness lifted.

"Mara found me not long after that, floating in the estuary, and realised she could save me. She brought me back here to Dakara and I've lived happily ever after since – the end."

That was… surprising. I hadn't really thought that there were that many other girls out there with as much association with the supernatural world as me, let alone in Washington. But still, she seemed to know an awful lot about vampires, more than my thoughts had told her.

"I'm curious," I said aloud, "how is it you know so much about vampires?"

"Oh, this is pretty cool, check this out right." She leant in as if she were sharing a state secret, and whispered, "we have a vampire resident."

"What?!"

I baulked, my eyes darting in all directions – to every tunnel entrance.

"Whoa, chill," Riana laughed. "He's a red-eye but he's not dangerous."

"I think the red-eyes are the very definition of dangerous." _She should know that_.

Riana rolled her eyes, "Yeah, for a _human_ – which we most definitely are not."

"I thought you said before that there was a 'no men' rule, or something," I gasped.

"Always exceptions," Tara muttered.

Lilith leant forward then, saying, "The man hangs around here sometimes, gets a thrill out of the whole living-under-the-sea-with-mermaids thing. He goes by the name Randall."

_Randall_… I tried to remember if the name had come up in passing with the Cullens, but I was drawing a blank, "Never heard of him."

Riana shrugged, chewing on her tuna. "Not surprising, newbie. He's a nomad, usually keeps to himself. I think he has a thing for Kiera though, might be why he's here so often."

"You said he's not dangerous to us. We still have blood…"

She was already shaking her head, "it's not the same as human blood, and although it smells sweet it's just not that appealing. Randall says the scent is too similar to his own kind to even consider drinking it. He also said that he couldn't even smell it until he got _really_ close." She giggled, "That makes me really wander about him and Kiera. Although, we still have to watch out around new-borns, those suckers bite anything that moves."

"Wait, so this vampire, this Randall, just stays here… with us?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

"What about air? I mean, I know vampires don't need to breathe but I always assumed it got really uncomfortable when they didn't for a long time. Not to mention that they need the air to talk."

Lilith was the one to answer this time. "We have some chambers in the colony with air pockets, we call them _dry rooms_. They usually have a pool leading up to a shore and a small amount of land. There's only three, maybe four, of those types of rooms in the tunnels."

Once again I glanced around at the numerous tunnel openings.

"Is Randall in the colony now?"

"Ah, that was subtle," Riana laughed, a little sardonically, "You want to meet the guy?"

Truthfully, I wasn't sure.

Lilith swallowed her last bite of tuna. "Sorry sweet-pea, you're out of luck. He left to hunt about a week ago, we haven't seen him since."

"That doesn't mean he won't come back though," Riana added, "we'll probably see him in another week and I'll arrange the introductions. With you being who you are I'll bet he'll be interested to meet you too."

"Riana, I'd prefer you didn't tell him who I am if you see him."

Her eyebrows rose in question.

"I haven't exactly made myself popular to some vampires and although I don't know this man…" I left the rest unsaid, but she heard it clearly in my thoughts. _Victoria, Volterra_…

"Ah, I get it: safety in anonymity." She tapped her nose and stage-whispered, "Your secret is safe with us."

Riana clapped her hands together then. "So, to sum up: I was attacked by a vampire and saved by a mermaid which, you've got to admit, is pretty radical, huh? Bet you 50 shells no one can top that supernatural malarkey."

At that I perked up. "I dated a vampire and a werewolf… sort of." All three looked to me with varying levels of amusement and surprise. "I'm now engaged to one," I finished.

"Okay," Riana said, "it's not a contest." She held up her hands as the other two laughed, but I heard her mutter under her breath, "Thunder – stealing – much?"

As the others drifted off into their own chatter, Riana leaned over to me.

"Glad to see 'the hermit' poke her head out of her shell," she whispered into my ear.

"Speaking of shells…" I whispered back, "You owe me 50, I think."

… 

That day in the dome had been something of an ice-breaker. A week passed, maybe more. I settled into life in the colony, I swam the tunnels, I slept in the hollow cave Riana and I shared, I ate tuna, I talked to my sisters… I cycled back on repeat. There was never any sign of rescue, never any glimpse of a Cullen. And somehow, I forgot to care about it. My sisters kept my mind too occupied to care. And I began to find that I liked living among them.

"Which one?" Riana asked me one day as we swam from our cave to the dome.

"Huh?" I asked, too lost in my own thoughts to follow hers.

"Which one did you choose in the end? When you told us about the vampire and the werewolf, you said you're engaged to one?"

I noticed she didn't say _were _engaged and for that I was grateful.

"The vampire."

It felt so weird referring to Edward in that way, just as 'The Vampire'. And for a moment, just a moment, I felt a prick of something in my chest, like the ghost of a hole…

"Totally the one I'd pick." Riana nodded her approval.

"You don't even _know_ either of them," I protested.

She shrugged. "I'd still pick the vamp."

"Really…? Even after what happened to you in Seattle?"

"Well hey, I'm rolling with the assumption that it wasn't your vamp-boy that did that."

"No, he's a vegetarian."

"He's a veg…" She collapsed into shrieks of laughter that drew the attention of several others. It took her a while to sober; she tried to catch her breath while clutching at her sides and weeping. "That's the best damn thing I've ever heard – a vegetarian vampire! What does he drink – tree sap?!"

"Animal blood," I answered indignantly.

She sobered instantly. "Oh yeah, that'd work."

As we swam she fell into thought, and eventually said, "Shame it doesn't work for us. We're blood-drinkers too, though we don't need it anywhere near as often as vamps. From what I hear they have a near-constant thirst, is that right?"

I nodded, remembering what Edward had told me.

"It's like a hot iron in their throats."

"Y-ouch," she cringed, "that's sucks. No pun intended."

"What about us?" The lethargy that usually engulfed my mind began to lift a little. "What do you mean we're blood-drinkers?"

"N-uh." She shook her head, sending her red hair drifting. "No need to worry about that now. Let's go grab some fish. I saw Tara bringing in a shoal of cod earlier, grubs up!"

Too late, I thought as we swam, I _was_ worrying about that now.

…

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	7. Chapter 7 - Forks on Alert

**Note: Last chapter I mentioned a vampire named Randall. I forgot to mention that he was listed in the Breaking Dawn Vampire Index as one of the nomads the Cullens knew that came to witness and stand up to the Volturi. Just so you know. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

**Enjoy, Nemma**

… 

Chapter 7: Forks on Alert – Jacob POV

The moon was at its zenith when Jacob trudged out of the trees at the back of Charlie's house, but it didn't matter, the place was lit up like a Christmas tree, with all the curtains open and the back and front doors flung wide as if to invite the world in. People, officers mainly, strode in and out as they chatted. Ever since Bella's disappearance, Charlie's home had turned into the Head-Quarters for the search. And even now, two police cars were parked on the drive with three other plain vehicles – volunteers, most likely. To one side, Bella's truck stood eerily still beneath its tree, silently accumulating rust and leaves.

"Hi," a grim looking Tyler called as he saw Jake.

He and the Newton boy were hanging about by one of the plain cars, a silver SUV.

"You on patrol detail tonight?" Jake asked as he approached.

"Yep," Mike said, "we're driving the coastal route over to La Push."

Jake paused. "It's late for that isn't it? It's got to be what, 11 o'clock now?"

The boys exchanged a wary glance.

"Actually," Tyler said, lowering his voice, "don't tell Charlie, but Officer Mark wants us to check the area down Bogachiel Way… along the river…"

For a second Jake didn't get what they meant and when he looked at Mike the other boy lowered his eyes, shuffling his feet. Oh.

"We're supposed to still be working on a 'search and rescue'," Jake said slowly, "…But now Officer Mark has people searching for a body?"

The words came out plainly, without emotion, but inside he was fuming. Fists clenched, he began to shake. _Hold it together_…

"It's been weeks now," Mike muttered quietly, "I want Bella to be okay too but…"

Jacob stopped listening there, he pushed past them. He'd always hated Newton anyway; boy couldn't make it through a damn monster movie without throwing up.

"Don't tell the Chief," Tyler hissed behind him.

Without knocking, Jake strode right in, past coffee-baring men in uniform and women pinning notes onto a map of the US that covered the living room wall, and into the overcrowded kitchen – the hub of their communal effort. Charlie was stood there, arms splayed as he leant over the assorted papers spread out across the spindly pine table, examining them. In the corner his tackle box and fishing rods lay, with a thin coating of dust.

"Hello Jacob," Charlie said as he glanced up, "I didn't hear your car pull up."

"You probably wouldn't have with all of the noise going on in here," he said, adding, "I parked down the street." He didn't need to know that he'd ran here.

Charlie nodded absently, already distracted by whatever lay in front of him. The truth was that Jake rarely drove now. He was always too nervous, too raw… too close to the edge. And no wolf wanted to phase in his newly re-modelled car, not after putting months of work into the re-fitting. Bella had watched him while he'd tweaked the engine, spending hours in his garage while they sipped warm sodas and laughed and joked. The memories hit hard now, whenever he looked at the car. They made it near-impossible to drive. But more than that – the Rabbit was just too slow. Jake needed to run, to feel the power in his limbs as he pelted full tilt. He needed to feel as if he had the power to reach somewhere as fast as he could. He needed to feel as if his speed could make a difference.

"How's Edward?" Charlie suddenly asked, cutting into his thoughts. Though he paid no real attention to the answer, far too busy sorting through the maps on the table.

"Better not to ask," Jake cringed, "what about Renee?"

"She's about as well as can be expecting – that is to say, she's spiralling out of control." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I never thought I'd be thankful that she has Phil."

Jake only nodded to that, and then he yawned. His actions made Charlie frown.

"When was the last time you slept?"

"When was the last time _you_ slept?" he retorted.

"I don't know," Charlie shrugged, "when was the Laker's Game?"

"Monday."

"A few days before that then, I guess."

From the living room came the squeal of wheels and then Billy was rolling himself into the kitchen. He was looking more haggard these days, Jake thought as he looked at the shadows beneath his father's eyes. This search was taking its toll on him too. He looked nowhere near as bad as Charlie though, with his oddly-buttoned shirt, blood-shot eyes, and hair in uncombed disarray… the stubble on his chin was at the point where it could almost be considered a true beard. Charlie looked cool with a moustache, but odd with a beard.

"Charlie," Billy said, coaxingly, "you need rest."

Chief Swan grated, "What I need is to find my daughter."

There had been a debate in the beginning – about what to tell Charlie about Bella. When it became clear that she wasn't going to found quickly everyone knew that he had to be told something, but what? In the end Sam and Carlisle decided to tell him the truth, or at least as much of it as was safe. He now knew that Bella had gone missing while on the phone to Alice and that Alice and Jasper had tracked her phone by GPS to find her gone. Edward was called then, just before Charlie. That's what they told him. And since that point he had been too ensconced in the search to question the details too closely.

Billy sighed, breaking Jake's reverie. "We all want that," he said, "but you'll be no good to her as you are. You're dead on your legs."

"He's right, Charlie," Jake added. "You need rest. What would Bella think if she came home to find you this way, huh? She'd scold you like a kindergartener caught watching cartoons after midnight."

He tried to laugh, to get Charlie to join in too, but nobody was feeling it.

And what Charlie said next cut through Jacob's heart like a knife.

"I was supposed to walk her down the aisle today. My little girl…"

With a drawn out sigh he scrubbed his face with both hands and made for the stairs. His steps were laboured and slow and his entire figure seemed to slump as he walked – as if he barely possessed to strength to keep standing. They listened to the wood creak as Charlie climbed and then the definitive clap of a bedroom door. When Jake looked back, Billy was eyeing him closely. He must have seen his grimace.

"Jacob…" Billy started, reaching out.

But Jake shook his head, stepping back. "Today was always going to be a bad day."

_The day that she would have married _him_… _

Billy nodded, sympathy in his eyes, and let his hand fall.

"Any luck with the… err… patrols?" he asked, subtly redirecting.

"Nothing," Jake sighed. He was really starting to feel the weight of the last week. "Nothing whatsoever, we're running lower on options every day."

"I wish I was out there," Billy lamented, "with you and Sam running patrols. If I could have… perhaps I might have…"

"Dad," Jake said, "you're doing a lot here, simply by being here for Charlie. Not to mention all the work you're doing re-directing the humans from the most dangerous areas," he added in a whisper. "That's no small thing."

But Billy looked far from assured; he looked miserable, almost as miserable as Charlie.

Jake sighed. "Look, dad, _we_ are out there," he emphasised in a way that unmistakably meant the wolves, "all ten of us, and we still can't find anything… and neither can the Cullens. Whatever happened, whatever 'it' is that took Bella, it's beyond any of our abilities to track."

Billy's eyes narrowed. "How are _they_ doing?"

"You mean the Cullens?"

He nodded, slowly. "How do they seem to you? Any odd behaviour? Anything cagey?"

"They're vampires. Of course they're odd…" then it dawned on him what his father was implying. "You think they had something to do with Bella's disappearance," Jacob said bluntly. Not a question. "You think they're the reason she's missing."

Billy simply raised an eyebrow in response. And Jacob had to laugh.

"Far be it for me to defend the leeches but… you didn't see them when they got to that beech, you didn't see how distraught they were. You didn't see the sister shake as she called Edward… You didn't see what happened when _he_ arrived."

Jacob shivered. The memory alone was chilling enough. Those burning black eyes… it was like he was caught in the fires of Hell.

"What if they have changed her?" Billy prompted. "Have you thought of that? If one of them had bitten her the Pack would have been obligated to attack. What if this is all a ploy so that they can get away with it without reprimand?"

Taking time to think that through, Jake had to admit that the idea had crossed his mind. What if the leeches were behind all this? What if it was an elaborate ruse? But in his gut, Jake didn't feel like it was. Bella would never allow it; she wouldn't leave him and Charlie in that kind of pain. And then his mind kept returning to Edward, crouching in the sand, groaning…

"No." Jake shook his head. "I don't think so."

Billy's lips thinned as if he were about to disagree, but then Officer Mark came striding into the kitchen with a wad of papers in hand.

"Ah, Billy!" he said, "I need your help with the search grid. We haven't covered the area just South of Jefferson Cove and I was wondering if you know anyone that would be willing to go out there tomorrow…"

As Billy turned his chair, Mark followed him back into the living room.

"Some of the boys might be able to give it a look. I'll ask around."

While they re-immersed themselves in the maps and notes and whiteboards and crap that seemed to smother the house, Jake strode passed them and up the stairs. He was dog-tired, literally, and he needed a better sleep than a wolf-nap on the forest floor. What with Sam continuously barking orders through his head and all of the other's pack-chatter, it wasn't like he could really sleep.

When he reached her room, the door creaked a little as it opened. He didn't think she would mind, it wasn't like she was using it at the moment. And even if she was he knew she probably would have ushered him into the bed-quilts with a shove and a frown telling him to sleep while she took the couch. Or maybe he was delusional with tiredness. Either way, if he didn't sleep soon he would collapse.

"Oof!"

Falling face-first onto her plush lilac duvet seemed like the best idea in the world… until the strawberry scent of her shampoo whooshed up to engulf his senses. God, it smelt like she had just been here. The scent had barely faded.

Prickles suddenly poked at his eyes and they felt hot and dry. No! With a huff he sat up, rubbing his eyes manically. He was tired, but he couldn't cry. He could not succumb to tears.

Clutching handfuls of his sheared short hair, he gasped, drawing in deep steadying breaths until the prickles ceased. He had been growing it, he remembered, because Bella seemed to like it better that way. Edward had laughed at him when he'd read his mind.

The prickles returned. And he stood with a growl.

"No, dammit, no!" he ranted as he paced.

Where had the sleepy lethargy gone? He'd been exhausted a minute ago-

His eyes fell on her slightly-open bedside drawer. Had anyone even thought to go through it?

Probably not. There wasn't likely to be anything in there that would help find her. And this was probably a _major_ invasion of privacy. But Jake was in need of distractions right now.

Reaching out, he pulled the drawer open. Notebooks with only the odd scribble in, half-empty pens, bobbles, and a barrette all lay within… girly stuff. Funny how he'd never thought of Bella as much of a _girly-stuff_ girl. There was a few scrap notes too, with that sickeningly sweet scent attached. He pulled one out and read: _Be Safe_. Ugh! He didn't have to guess who had written that cursive script. Edward was even flouncy in his writing.

Then his hand fell on something else… a bracelet, with a wolf and a crystal heart attached. She still had it… he _had_ wondered…

Jake had to sit down hard and fast and this time, when the prickles started, he didn't bother to stop them. He blinked, hard, and the breaths that he pulled into his lungs quickly became ragged. There was something else, below it, something that struck him even harder.

A card – made of dried macaroni and glitter.

Wow, Jake had forgotten about that. But now he remembered. They had been kids. Bella had been seven, and Jake five. She had been staying with Charlie for an extended vacation and she had spent a lot of time with him and Rachel on the reservation while Billy and Charlie watched baseball. Jake had loved her even then, in his own childish way.

His hands shook when he picked it up. Glitter stuck to his fingers.

Charlie said it had been her first Valentine's Day card ever… and she had kept it all these years. A drop splashed onto the paper and only then did Jake realise that he was crying.

A lump had formed in his throat and it burned, and sniffing, he brushed the tears away.

"Don't be dead," he whispered to the darkness, "just, _please_… don't be dead."

Clutching the card close, he fell back onto her bed, and cried until he slept.

… 

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	8. Chapter 8 - All Fish Go To Heaven Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

… 

Chapter 8: Part 1 – All fish go to Heaven

I had been dreading and anticipating this day for weeks. Riana was taking me hunting today – outside. It was my first trip beyond the walls of the colony, and I didn't like it one bit. The space was wide and open and I had gotten used to the confines of Dakara. When I followed Riana up to the cavernous opening, I crept to the edge and peeked out like a baby rabbit checking the landscape for predators. Beyond lay a vast wasteland – no reefs, no coral-beds, no kelp forests, nothing but flat sand and murky water for as far as the eye could see.

"Come on, Bella," Riana urged as she flitted into the open, "we haven't got all day."

Six more mermaids appeared behind us and swam ahead – the numbers that would make up our hunting party. Today, we were collecting fish. As they passed by they barely acknowledged me, just clicked and whistled to themselves, eager to get on with the hunt.

I hurried to keep up as I saw their tails disappearing into the murk, but still I paused. It had been so long since I had been outside, almost a lifetime ago.

Riana was the only one to wait, and she hovered patiently as I carefully explored further. When I was far enough I turned.

Observing the colony from outside was somewhat… _demoralising_. I felt like a child that had been promised a trip to the Grand Canyon only to be presented with a ditch out-back. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it was not this. It was just so drab, a flat grey expanse of sea-smoothed rock. It was even hard to tell where the entrance was, having just used it too.

Riana laughed delightedly, "You look so disappointed."

"Well, yeah."

"What were you expecting, the Taj-Mahal? Or the lost city of Atlantis?"

"I wouldn't go that far. It's just that I was expecting… well, _more_."

All I could see was a flat expanse of dull grey rock and a small hole in the ground. And yet it was huge within, gargantuan. Dakara was misleading.

As we flipped our tails and swam away, following our sisters, Riana clicked her tongue in mock disapproval.

"You newbies always do." She shook her head sadly. "It was designed with camouflage and concealment in mind. Remember, this place is _not_ supposed to be easy to find. We wouldn't want our enemies to come snooping around our doorstep."

That caught my attention.

"And who _are_ our enemies exactly?" I said, then added, "Don't tell me sharks, because this type of concealment wouldn't matter to them, it would be useless. Werewolves are land-based and wouldn't swim this far out, even to find us, _if_ they know we exist." And I was pretty certain Jake would have told me about mermaids if he knew. "Vampires…" Now there was a thought. "Are we enemies with vampires?"

Riana considered that. "We may not always get along with them, but we aren't enemies – at least with the ones we know, which are few and far between – we like them too much," she laughed, and added a little slyly, "must be all their delicious glittery goodness."

"Who then…?" _What other supernatural creatures could there be?_

"Humans for one," she said, surprising me. "Their technology is pretty advanced now and we like to deter the construction of any large monuments that would draw undue attention from, say, satellites, or ultrasound from passing vessels." She shrugged, and the tenor of her thoughts grew bored. "I don't know, I'm not a science geek but I'm sure one of our sisters could explain it right."

"Just humans then…?" I prompted, realising she didn't just mean them. In her mind lay hesitation.

"No," she said slowly, considering, "sometimes we don't get on so well with other colonies. As with any species, we can bicker – to put it lightly."

"Why? What would we fight about?"

The cool water smoothed our skins and while I waited for her to answer I focussed of the sensation of it caressing each and every scale. It was gentle, like an affectionate stroke.

"I don't know," she said, "What do humans fight about?" Raising a hand, she ticked off one reason after another using each finger. "Territory disputes, hunting rights, the grander issues of morality and theology." She threw up her hands, "Whatever you like."

"Are we fighting with any other colony right now?"

_Should we be watching our backs out here?_

"Don't think so," she shrugged, swimming on with a carefree grace. "There's not been any action in that sense since I joined… but then again I've not seen any mermaids from other colonies since I arrived. I don't know of any of our younger sisters who have either, and the older ones don't talk about it. I did hear one little titbit of gossip though, apparently there's another colony somewhere between the Philippines and the Solomon sea, east of Papua New Guinea. It's the closest one to us, I think. Their leader took issue with some of Mara's… _edicts_… I think that was the word, and refused to deal with her or her colony until she changed her ways. Don't know what those _edicts_ were though, could be any number of things."

She paused then and muttered, almost to herself, "but I'd bet our diet could be to do with it. Some would disapprove." Before I could ask about that she carried on, "I suppose you could add vamps to our list of potential enemies now, seeing as _yours_ are looking for you and wouldn't be too happy to find out we have you."

_The Cullens, Edward! …When had I last thought of them?_

"Have you seen them?" I asked. "Are they nearby?"

_Would they even think of looking in the ocean for me?_

"I've seen nothing," Riana chirped. "Sorry if it sounded like I had, I didn't mean to get your hopes up." She paused then, as if assessing my mood. I felt calm enough, placid even. Slowly she added, "We are quite far from the Washington coast, you know, at least one-thousand-five-hundred miles out into the Pacific. It's not surprising that they haven't looked this far out for you. Mermaids are also lightning-fast in the water; we can outswim a vampire below the surf, even if we can't out-manoeuvre them above. Point is, if they did see one of us and tried to follow her back to the colony, they'd have no hope of tracking her in the water. Sorry chick."

With that she flitted away.

… 

About half an hour into our swim, there was a high-pitched whistle from one of the sisters ahead. I started, surprised, but beside me Riana just smiled.

_Fish_, she thought.

By the time we'd reached the rest, they were already corralling the small shoal into a tight knot of flashing silver. They darted around them in a pack, whistling and clicking the way I had seen dolphins do on nature programmes. Their thoughts were not human; they were too sharp and focussed, with a hunter's acuity – marine predators.

With a swift flick of her emerald tail, Riana swept forward to join in the hunt. As she did she pulled a sharp blade from the seaweed belt buckled about her waist.

"Herring, yum," Riana said, "I've had a craving for this. C'mon, Bella," she urged.

I followed.

The whistles continued, causing the fish to dart with fright. I joined them, mimicking the high-pitch tone, and I allowed my mind to be swept along with them as we worked in tandem to corner the little fish. At times like this, it felt like we were more fish than human.

Although I had been given no knife of my own, I worked at the edges with another blond-haired girl. She was tiny, but her focused was as sharpness as the others. We kept the fish together as our sisters darted forward to grab at the strays and stash them in little pouches made of woven kelp on their backs.

As I watched, my stomach started to rumble, hunger making an appearance. I was so focussed, so intent on doing this right and helping my sisters, that at first I did not notice the dark shadow overhead.

A screech went out – sharper than the hunter's trill – and something huge tore past.

Water whirled in a whirlpool that sent me spinning and before I could so much as form a question I heard the answer shriek in several minds.

_Shark! Shark! Shark!_

The fishes scattered, the mermaids took flight, and in panic I darted into the murk too, following an erratic golden tail. I didn't know whose; her thoughts were too chaotic to tell.

A cry went out, and I twisted to see a blond mermaid – the smallest of our group that I had been working with – mere inches away from the beast's snapping jaws. It twisted and bit, baring its razor-teeth as she struggled to flee. The girl was little more than a child.

Riana was closest but she froze stiff, gaping in horror.

I didn't think – I rarely ever did – I acted on instinct alone.

Sweeping forward to snatch the silver knife from Riana's grip, I propelled myself into the dark monster's side. Wham! I hit with much more force than I thought possible and as I reeled, a little dazed, I blinked and saw the shark had been knocked aside as well.

"Go," I screeched at the little one.

With wide-eyes and shaking lips, she flitted past me and away into the gloom, tracking our sisters. The sea was growing darker by the second as night took hold swiftly, and in the far distance I could only see the reflective green sheen of my sister's eyes. I took off after the child too, as quickly as I could, pushing my powerful tail. But I was not quick enough.

A force like a freight-train ploughed into my side and I gasped, knocked senseless as a ripping agony tore through my thigh. Scarlet bloomed in a cloying mist around me and I only had the vague notion that something huge and dark had latched onto my side.

"Bella!" Riana's voice echoed through the gloom. But my mind was blank, barely comprehending as the shredding agony spread through my limbs. There was so much pain!

"The knife," she screamed, "use the freaking knife!"

_The knife_… I looked to my hand and, yes, somehow I still held the thin silver blade.

It didn't feel like my arm that moved. It didn't feel like my hand that plunged the knife towards the beast's pitiless black eye. It all felt too surreal for that and I felt too distant, like I was a part from my own body, detached.

The blade pierced that jet black orb, sinking up to the hilt.

Something released.

And then I was floating, drifting down… and down… and down…

Disappearing into the black…

_No Bella, hold on_, a panicked voice called, beautiful in its terror.

I smiled. That voice was not Riana's or any of the sister's. It was a voice that was much more welcome and so much sweeter, like molten honey; one that I had not heard in so, so long.

_Edward_, I sighed, both an exultation and a prayer.

It was no surprise to hear him now, when I was so close to the brink. I had heard him before at times like this, and I was glad that I could hear him now – this final time.

_Fight_, his growl commanded, sensing my lethargy, _don't give up_.

But the darkness was too close now; encroaching on my senses as the red seeped away, draining away my strength. It would be so easy to give into that oblivion, like drifting off to sleep. As I gave myself up to it a pair of ice-cold arms encircled my torso, and started to lift.

_Edward?_ I queried, but there was no response, only darkness.

…

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	9. Chapter 9 - All Fish Go To Heaven Pt 2

**Early update! **

**Thank you so much for your support! I've gotten some really nice reviews since last chapter. And while I try to reply to everyone personally, I cannot do so for the 'Guest' reviewers – so I'll just take this opportunity to express my thanks with a mini mid-week update. It's short, I know, but I promise to get a bigger chapter to you this weekend.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

**Enjoy, Nemma**

… 

Chapter 9: Part 2 – All fish go to Heaven

Around me, voices carried like whispers on the wind – timid and hushed. I became vaguely aware of my surroundings, of faces beyond count that stared, wide-eyed, as they passed.

"Clear the way," a girl's voice said, "she's badly injured."

They parted like mice before the light. Few spoke words, mostly it was nonsensical clicking, but their thoughts were clear enough.

_The blood!_

_What happened?_

_Shark attack…_

_Bella…?_

_She saved Kali…_

_But she's so new, how?_

_Can you hear me? Focus Bella…_

Everything went black. And the last thing I felt were the stone-cold arms that held me.

…

"Do you remember the first time I ever brought you here, love?" Edward asked as I reclined in the meadow's grass, stretching full-length as I indulged in the sun's light. It was one of those rare warm times in Washington State where neither rain nor wind ruined the day, and together we lounged in the heat. The sun prickled my skin, and sparkled on his.

"Yes," I smiled. "How could I not? It was the first time I saw you in direct sunlight."

Turning to him, I watched as the diamond-fragments of his skin glittered. He was so beautiful and he just didn't know it.

"And the time after that?" he queried.

I smiled. "Yes."

"And the time after that?" he persisted.

"Of course," I frowned a little, wondering what he was getting at.

"What about the time after the newborn battle, when you decided the wedding date? I'd have given you everything that day – my heart, my soul-" he traced my lips with his finger, reminding me of exactly what he meant, "-if you'd have let me."

This time I sat up, giving him my full attention. Reaching up, I stroked his marble cheek and felt the stone-cold flesh quiver. My hand trailed up to his bronze hair and ran through the strands. He leant into my touch and I smiled as he did. I loved this man so much.

"Of course," I said. That was a treasured memory. He should know that. "I remember every time, every single moment."

His face was sad, his eyes pools of misery. "Then why aren't you coming back to me?"

… 

"Bella, Bella can you hear me?"

"Edward?" I gasped. The arms that held me were stone and cold. We were still moving, but all I felt was darkness and pain.

"She's bad; a lot of blood has been lost." The voice was lilting and musical and… strained. "We need to halt the haemorrhaging. Make a tourniquet with your belt."

"Edward?" I gasped again. Then I felt it.

Agony! My legs were in agony! My tail! I cried out, but what came from my throat was a piercing, ragged screech. Hands held me; more people carrying me, swimming swiftly through the water. The pull of the sea dragged and pulled and _hurt_, exacerbating the pain.

"Hold on," a girl said – _Riana?_ "We've got you. Lilith, bind that. Where's Mara?"

"I don't know," another voice said. I wasn't sure whose.

"Well, can someone at least find Kiera? We need a senior hand here."

Someone was crying, it sounded like a child. The pain was too much, too intense, I writhed in its grip. This was torture. The blackness returned and engulfed me again.

… 

**I know, short. The chapters are longer from here. **

**Reviews are like candy… *smiles* **


	10. Chapter 10 - All Fish Go To Heaven Pt 3

**You guys are awesome! I've gotten some really lovely messages and I appreciate each and every one of them – and the followers and favouriters too! Here's another BPOV. **

**Enjoy, Nemma**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

…

Chapter 10: Part 3 – All fish go to Heaven - BPOV 

Waking up was like being immersed in a tub of ice-water – startling and instantaneous. I jolted up, gasping. Everything was so much sharper than it had been in weeks. Memories, thought – they possessed a crystalline clarity that I hadn't realised they had been lacking until now. It was like I had woken from a vivid dream and I now felt everything, _everything_, with excruciating keenness.

_Edward, oh God, how could I have forgotten to go back? How had I not left this place when I had the chance?_

It almost felt like I was withdrawing from the effects of some drug, like my system was doped but now it was shaking off the effects. Mara – she had done this to me, she had dulled my emotions… she had made me forget to care. _Oh Edward_…

And now I was angry, and scared.

How dare she. What gave her the right? When I found her I was going to-

"Hey," a voice said, "welcome back to the sea of the living. We thought we might have lost you there for a time."

Looking up, I released I was back in the colony – lying on woven kelp-bed in one of the many caves that made up the place – and I was not alone. Riana hovered in the doorway, her mass of vivid red hair floating about her head. And she looked, for once, contrite.

"We thought that you weren't going to make it at one point. It's been touch-and-go for three days. Glad to see you pulled through though. I've gotten to like you, Bella."

"What happened?" I asked.

Though I did remember bits, I was sketchy on the details. And I needed time to collect my thoughts – I was still reeling over my dream of Edward.

"_Why aren't you coming back to me…?"_

"You tackled a shark," she laughed, "that's what happened; a Great White too, must have been 12-foot long! …You saved one of our smallest sisters." Her attitude grew grave. "That was no small feat. The whole colony is buzzing about it – Bella the Shark-killer… How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shoved through a meat-grinder," I grumbled. My tail _ached_.

Looking down, all I could see was swathes of thick, waxy, greenish-black weeds cocooning my lower half. I probably didn't want to see the mess that lay beneath…

"Uh-huh, well those things have pretty nasty teeth." Riana paused, eyeing me closely, "I really am happy you're okay. Mara told me to go fetch her when you woke up. She wants to talk to you. I can stall if you want some time-"

"-No," I said, perhaps more sharply than I should have, "I want to talk to her too."

"Okay," she said, but at the cave entrance she paused. "It was a vampire that saved you. Did you realise?"

My thumping heart seemed to still. When I looked up, her face was carefully blank.

"He heard our shouts a mile away," she continued, "he was roaming nearby and he came flying out of the dark while I was still frozen in place…"

"What vampire?"

"Our resident, Randall…" Her face was a strange mix; both confused and sad.

Oh, so it was _his_ cold arms I had felt wrap around me. A part of me was miserably disappointed. For a moment I had thought…

"You called him Edward, you know," she said, "when he caught you sinking after the shark let go."

"It must have been because of his voice. I heard him speaking, but…" I frowned, rubbing my head, still hazy as the memory of cold arms took hold, "we were in the water…"

"He had not long dived, he still had breath to spare," she said. "Randall was travelling back to the Colony from the surface."

"I should thank him," I said, though my voice lacked enthusiasm.

"You should, when you're able," she nodded. "It was a hard thing for him to carry back here, bleeding as you were. Our blood may not be the same as humans' but we still have beating hearts, and, well, blood is blood." She paused, before adding, "You called out for him in your sleep too…" she trailed away, frowning a little, "You called out for Edward."

I could only sigh. "Is that so unusual, to call out for someone I love?"

"For one of us, it is." She seemed to be on the verge of saying something else, her mouth opened… and closed. "Shall I fetch Mara now?"

"Please."

With a slow nod, she flitted out of the cave and vanished, leaving me alone. My thoughts were a bubbling mire of molten lava, frothing, boiling. I was furious.

I planned to have it out with Mara. To tell her I would be gone soon. I was going home-

"Um, excuse me," a little voice said.

Looking up, I saw a small figure hovering in the doorway. It was the little blonde girl, the one I had snatched away from the shark – before it had chomped onto my tail instead.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

At once my anger was doused.

"Err, sure." I shuffled a little, straightening as she edged closer.

"How are you feeling?" She spoke strangely, with the lisp of a very young child – her r's and l's became w's.

"I'm fine," I answered, automatically – reminded instantly of how much Edward hated that word, 'fine'. I flinched, but pushed the pain aside. "How are _you_?"

"I'm okay," she nodded.

I didn't know where to go from here… we just stared at each other. I didn't even know her name.

"I wanted to thank you," she eventually said, her cherub-face dimpling. "That was very brave what you did. You saved me."

"Err, thanks. I did what anyone else would have done, I guess."

She shook her head. "None of our sisters tried, only you."

Now I felt uncomfortable. "I'm sure that they would have, given more time. It all happened very quickly, didn't it? And I was closest."

She shuffled, swishing her sapphire-blue tail and picking at her nails. "I guess."

I didn't want to be mean to the girl, but I didn't want her company either. After the return of my senses, I just wanted to be left alone, to wallow in self-pity with only my anger for comfort, to think and to plan… to work out how I was going to get home.

Perhaps she could even hear me wishing for that – if she was listening.

"What's your name, little one?" I asked to derail my thoughts. If she heard them she might tell someone, and I didn't need that.

She straightened proudly. "Kalianna, but our sisters call me Kali. You're Bella."

"Yes," I said, even though it was not a question.

"You're the vampire's girl, aren't you?"

"I… err…"

"I know all about vampires," she nodded eagerly, and swimming closer she crouched by my bed-side. "I've heard that they're scary and strong and fast, very fast, but not as fast as we are. No one beats us in the water, but that's because of our tails. They drink blood too. Have you ever drunk blood? Before you came here, I mean? If you lived with vampires-"

Once she began to talk, she spoke endlessly. It was like a floodgate opened and words spilled out. I couldn't respond fast enough and in the end I just let the words flow unimpeded. For being very shy to begin with, she now chattered like a little bird, not at all troubled by my lack of response.

"Do they burn in the daylight? Lilith says they do but I've never seen one so I don't know. Can vampires burn underwater? Is that possible? Do you think they are looking for you? They probably are. My parents looked for me for _months_. They never found me though. No one ever gets found. Mara is very clever; she hid this place so outsiders can't find us. She protects us here. Mara's very particular about who she selects, she only takes girls who've had a hard time on land – the ones that men hurt. And that's why-"

"-Excuse me? What was that?"

"Err…" Kali hesitated, "Mara only takes girls that men hurt?"

"I did hear you right," I frowned, "but no one hurt me."

"Someone must have," the girl nodded, enthused, "Mara can sense these things."

_Mara can sense squat_, I thought, anger brimming, but I said nothing. So far Kali had been an unexpected fountain of knowledge; she was giving me a lot to think about.

And I needed to learn more.

"How long have you been here, Kali?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm not sure," she frowned, her eyes drifting in thought as she pinched her bottom lip between two small fingers. "Fifty years, maybe," she shrugged. "We don't really follow human time down here – days and nights blur together."

Struggling to comprehend that, I asked dumbly, "How old are you?"

"I have been nine and two-thirds since Mara found me."

Frozen as a child… My mind drifted until a thought struck, completely blind-siding me with its implications.

"Wait." I held up my hands. "Are you saying that we don't age? That we stay in the exact same state as when we are Turned?"

"More or less." She fiddled with a piece of weed now, twirling it between her fingers.

"That must be, err, hard," I said, in an attempt to empathise with her predicament.

"I don't really think about it." Her expression said as much. She was genuinely baffled.

_They… _we_… did not age. _

Ha! I'd finally attained immortality and I hadn't even realised it. This was what I had wanted for months! But the understanding was bittersweet, because it came with the realisation that this was _not_ what I wanted. There had been two other very specific pre-requisites for attaining immortality: 1.) that I gain it by becoming a vampire, and 2.), the more important, that I gain it for the purpose of being with Edward forever. At the moment, I was not a vampire and I was not with Edward. I was a mermaid.

This had not been in the plan.

So far I'd only succeeded in the immortality part, and I hadn't even gotten that right! I sighed. Only _I_ could mess up immortality so thoroughly.

Well, the one positive note was that I wasn't aging. That meant that I had an eternity to rectify the situation, although… I really hoped it wouldn't take quite that long.

I wanted to find Edward, soon. And then there was Charlie to think of, and my mom.

"Kali," I said, the faint outline of a plan forming, "can you do something for me?"

"Sure," she chirped, "anything."

"Can you tell me all there is to know about our kind?"

She opened her mouth, about to answer, when another voice interrupted her.

"Bella, our exulted leader would like a word with you now."

_I would like a word with her too! _

Riana had returned and she hovered in the doorway with an anxious frown. For a moment I wondered how much of our conversation – and my thoughts – she had overheard.

"Come along, Kali." She held out her had to the child. "Let's leave them now."

The child swam forward and the two vanished into the hall, leaving only a dark figure, hovering in the shadows of the cave entrance – Mara.

I hadn't seen her this close since the day I'd woken in the colony. And in that time I had forgotten just how frightening she appeared. Her green eyes glowed ethereally in the gloom, her flowing mane of jet-black hair loomed about her in a slow wave, and at the corners of her lips were the tell-tale indents of little fangs. I remembered those – I remembered how they _pierced_.

"How is our newest recruit doing?" she said, her voice low and dark, "I hear you had a run-in with a Great White."

I gulped, unintentionally. "That's what they tell me."

_Where was my anger? Why had it abandoned me now?_

"That was a brave thing you did," she continued, "you rescued one of my most treasured children. Kaliana should not have ventured out with the hunting group. She has been told continually that she is too small, too vulnerable, but, as she always does, she slips the net. It was very fortunate you were there to aid her, and for that you have my thanks."

"Okay," I said, lost for words.

Was that all? Apparently, because after that she inclined her neck in an elegant nod and turned to leave.

"Mara?" I called on a whim, and the frightening woman stilled.

"Hmmm?" she said.

"I want to ask you something…" I hesitated, my courage faulting.

Why was I so scared? What else could she possibly do to me? She had already ripped me away from Edward, from my entire life.

"Please speak, dear," she drifted back, watching me closely, "you can talk to me."

My anger faulted a little more. She was nice and polite, but the far dark of her eyes held a bleakness that chilled me to the bone. That motherly countenance was a false front.

Breathing deeply, I spoke. "I heard some of the other mermaids talking…" I thought it best not to name Kali directly. "…and I heard something strange, about you."

"Strange? …About me?" She laughed delightedly. "I'm sure that there are many strange tales floating around about me. Which one in particular caught your interest?"

"They said that you can sense when a girl has been hurt? …By a man… that this is how you find and select girls to join the… err… Colony?"

Her face grew still.

"That is correct."

I released a breath. "Then why did you take _me_?"

She blinked. "Am I to be under the impression that no man has ever hurt you?"

Before I could answer with a definitive '_No_' she continued on.

"Think very carefully before you deny it, Bella. It's written across your heart, the scars are plain to see. Your heart has been broken; shattered would be a more apt term – and more than once. Love has been hard on you, as it has been for many of us."

"B-but," I floundered, "I was okay, my heart had healed. I was happy. I was engaged!"

_Was,_ a far part of my mind noted. Had I already turned to a past tense?

Without compunction, my eyes drifted down to where my diamond ring lay, on the third finger of my left hand. It sparkled demurely in the dim light.

"But you weren't entirely happy, were you?" Mara stated, her dark eyes flashing. "When I took you I could sense it; there is a split in your heart, not as powerful as the first break but it still aches. You felt it keenly before. I bet you could put a name to that ache."

_Jake… _

I struggled with her logic, breathing hard. "Then, if you sense these cracks and aches so acutely, you should be able to tell that my heart is aching right _now_. When you took me, you took me away from the people I love. I'm pining Mara, I want them back!"

Absurdly, I felt like a spoilt child, stamping my feet and demanding attention.

"Bella Cullen."

She said it the way she had the first time I had given her the name, as if she were testing it for quality… or for truth.

"It was not your first choice when I asked for your name," she stated, "and yet it is the name you have chosen. I don't ask for your reasons, everyone has the right to be who she wishes to be – name, identity and all. You are Bella Cullen and I am Mara. That is who we are and who we aspire to be. It is not the people around us who define us, it is ourselves."

_And what did that have to do with anything? What was she talking about?_

"Think about it," she said.

I still did not understand. She sighed, drifting closer – and her proximity caused a shiver to run along my spine.

"That was not the first time I saw you," Mara said, "the day I took you from the beach. I saw you once before, you leapt from a cliff. Your heart was fractured then too. I could sense your pain from a mile away. I nearly took you then, the sea would have claimed you if I had not, but the wolf-shifter intercepted me. I watched from the deep as he towed you ashore."

Her black eyes grew distant, staring beyond our thick, stone walls.

"I promised myself that day that I would look out for you again, for if you'd been drawn there once before I had no doubt you would be again. And you were."

That made me sound like I was looking for death. And that just wasn't right!

Rallying my thoughts, I said, "But not for the same purpose, I… I was just cliff-diving that first time, and after that… I was driving along the road-side. I only stopped because I thought you were hurt. I was trying to help you!"

But she didn't even seem to be listening.

"When I bit you, when I imbued you with my venom that day on the beach, I changed you in ways you can't begin to imagine. Ways you have not yet learnt to comprehend. You will come to know this in time, when your fangs fully grow and the cravings start. You are no longer a Land-walker, you are a Daughter of the Sea now, and you must learn to accept this."

Anger boiled up within, and just as I was about to protest I felt a sharp yank in my mind. Memories of Edward and Jake and Charlie collided together in a hectic froth of colour that swirled like a maelstrom, making the images distort and blur. I gasped, flinching back.

"What was that?!" I barked.

She looked on stoically as I thought about the tug. That felt like she was trying to siphon off my thoughts… A cold sensation trickled down my spine; the implication hardened, her threat decisive and clear. _Abandon the memories, or they will be taken from you_.

Dread flooded me, ice-cold and sickening. No, she couldn't, she wouldn't… That was too cruel! But even as I thought it, I knew that she would, without a second thought.

"You're wound is much better," she commented lightly, "soon you will be well enough to return to the main colony and your sisters, where you belong."

Mara's face gave nothing away. And silently she moved to the door.

_I don't want this. I want to be myself again. I want to be human_. _I want Edward!_

Against my will my voice turned desperately pleading, "I want my family back."

She only stared at me, and her eyes were flat and pitiless.

"We are your family now," she said.

…

**Note****: I got some really important news this week. My original unpublished novel got shortlisted for an award! I'm so happy, couldn't stop bouncing about. I've still got work to do on it but the judge gave me some good pointers. Inevitably that distracted me from writing more SS, but I promise to knuckle down this week and get another chapter to you soon. **

**Reviews in my inbox always make me smile. Feel free to type one! :) **


	11. Chapter 11 - Treasure Trove

**Thank you for the lovely reviews, people! They keep me inspired. Hope you enjoy the newest chapter, Nemma. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

…

Chapter 11: Treasure Trove – BPOV

For the past week I had been lying, wallowing and recovering, in the Colony's infirmary, ever since that damned shark bit me. But I was wallowing over more than that. I was wallowing over my collision – that seemed to be the right word – with Mara.

To be fair, I was not even sure what I had been asking of her. Had I been asking her to turn me back into a human? Or to return me to the surface? It wasn't like vampires could turn back, or Rosalie would have found a way a long time ago. Werewolves didn't have a choice either, although they could stop phasing, given time. But still, they would always be wolves.

Becoming supernatural was not a lifestyle choice that could be changed on a whim.

I should have known better.

And although she had hardly asked my permission, and although we had not had a lengthy heart-to-heart about my preference for humanity (and eventually vampirism), Mara had had the best intentions when she had taken me, as far as I could tell. She had sensed – rightly – that I had experienced some serious hurt on the surface, from more than one source. She had intended to take me, care for me, and grant me a new life and a family to protect and be protected by. In a way, a very begrudging way, I did admire that. Even if in her version I was like a helpless, down-trodden, hard-done-to stray that she'd picked up on her travels.

Huh, I didn't like that image. I never liked to appear weak.

"Hey, Shark-bait," Riana called as she flitted into the cave, her red hair streaking past as she swam, "good news, you're officially being released today – back into the _wild_."

"Oh goodie," I sighed, not the least bit enthused.

"Oh, c'mon," she drawled, "you're not still moping about that big-ass scar you got, are you?"

Glancing down at my un-bandaged tail, I took in the large crescent-mark that began at my left hip-bone and wound its way in a huge arc to just above my knee. Around it, scales still flaked away, discoloured and dead and stained red. But it was healed, for the most part.

I knew I should be grateful that it was not worse, and I was! But still… it looked ugly. And I couldn't help but grimace.

"War wound," Riana nodded patriotically, "you should wear it with pride!"

"Sure," I said, having no other comment, and rising I twisted and flicked my tail – it still pained me a little, but nothing like it had. It was bearable. "C'mon, get me out of here."

As we swished our way down the eerily green tunnels I thought about Randall, the vampire that had carried me home. I wanted to meet him, to thank and assess him.

_Perhaps he knows of the Cullens, perhaps he would be willing to play messenger_.

As we swam we passed a few of our sisters that acknowledged me with more than the usual nod. There were smiles and claps on my back, appreciative clicks and even a cheer.

"Whoop," Tara laughed as she swam by.

Confused, I glanced into their thoughts and they were all the same – they _admired_ me. They admired the way I had tackled that shark. I… no one had ever regarded me with such interest before, except Edward. And I found that I was not entirely comfortable with it. Never having been one for the spotlight I disliked the attention, but more than that, I realised that I would now have to take more care with my thoughts…

"Oh," Riana suddenly gasped and I followed her gaze, "have you seen these yet?"

On the wall ahead, illuminated by an arc of pink anemone-lights, was a succession of bleached-white jaws – shark jaws. Be-toothed and gleaming and white!

"Our trophy wall," Riana smiled, and in the gloom her teeth shone – fangs and all.

"That reminds me. Here," she said, and turning, she rifled through the patched kelp satchel that she always had fastened about her waist. "All mermaids keep a token of their first hunt. Well, of their first _big kill_. We hardly count tuna as big."

From within she pulled out a long leathery cord with a single white pendant in its dip.

_Was that a shark tooth?_ The thought was clear enough and Riana nodded.

"Think of it as a memento," she said, and lifting my hair she fastened the thing around my neck, "to remember just how kick-ass you can be."

When it lay demurely over my collar-bones, in the little crevice between my breasts, she swam back and looked me over with an approving nod.

"All hail Bella, the Shark-killer," she added wryly, patting my shoulder.

"So, wait, is this actually from the shark, _the_ shark, the one that bit me?"

"Yeah," Riana chirped, "you stabbed it in the eye remember? Drove the knife pretty deep… It died quickly. And while me and Kali and a few of the others swam with you and Randall back to the Colony, hoping that you wouldn't bleed out before we got there, two of our sisters stayed behind to… sort out the carcass. We'll have Great White steaks for dinner, FYI. A fish that size will likely feed half the Colony!"

As she spoke I looked at the tooth. A sudden splurge of… I don't know… _acceptance?_ …took me by surprise. It didn't come from just Riana, but from those passing, and those in the adjacent tunnels that I couldn't see with my eyes, and those that were out hunting or scouting or swimming in the sea beyond our caves. It was universal acceptance from all of my sisters. Riana smiled, feeling it too.

"You'd think that I'd feel odd having only the pendant to wear," I said blithely as I turned it back and forth, watching it gleam in the odd pink light, "but somehow I always seem to forget that I'm no longer wearing clothes."

"Mermaids," Riana shook her head, "we have no shame."

"I guess the fact that scales cover all of the important parts helps too."

"Yeah, but then mermaids just don't feel embarrassment like humans do." As we began to swim again she really seemed to contemplate that. "Or maybe," she added, a little evilly, "If we were allowed to bring some boys down here once in a while we might just blush."

Thoughts of Edward seeing me this way, essentially unclothed, suddenly made my skin darken to cerise. I pushed them aside. "Thank you for this, Riana. I don't know what to-"

A loud screech of noise cut me short, butchered and blood-curdling.

"My God," I gasped, "What on Earth was that?!"

Riana stretched forward, looking around the corner towards the dome and trying to see over the masses gathered there. "Looks like someone's brought home dinner," she smiled.

My mind was confused, but that sounded like…

"There's only one," Riana moaned, grimacing, "that's not enough for all of us. We'll have to settle for muscles and shark tonight. And I've been starting to crave man-flesh."

"What?" I gasped, not daring to approach her corner, "Wait… was that _a person_?"

"Err, yeah," Riana said absently, eyes trained ahead.

And so the good feeling faded, along with the universal hippy-love. It was like being in the underground vaults of the Volturi capital all over again, with screams echoing so clearly not twenty metres away. In the water the sound was muffled and garbled, but no less terrified.

_If vampires are the blood-drinkers of the land…_, Lilith had said.

"Now and again we bring one in," Riana continued, unnerved. "Human blood is a lot better than anything you'll catch in the sea, wait until you try it, it's _phenomenal_."

I gulped, sickened. "You drink _human blood?_"

She seemed to sense my nausea then, and turned to me with a hard frown. "Oh, don't give me that, Vampire Girl. It's who we _are_." The frown dispersed and she laughed a little, "You look queasy, positively green. I'm thinking of a very good sea-sick joke but you're probably not going to appreciate it right now."

"I won't drink human blood."

Riana sighed with great exasperation. "There's always one," she said, seemingly to herself, and added sternly, "Look, blood is like one of our five-a-day. Doctor recommended. Although we don't indulge quite that often, we need – hear that part, _need_ – to drink it, once maybe twice a month. Or our systems pack in and that's it, we go caput. Ugh! It's really not bad. It's fantastic actually, like chocolate on steroids… and the flesh." She actually shivered.

_So it's not just the blood. _In her thoughts I could see images of flanks and bones.

"Hannibal," I muttered, not really joking.

She laughed anyway. Her melodious voice carried such sweet chimes that it felt wrong, displaced, considering the carnage we were discussing – the carnage she was _revelling_ in.

"If I'm Hannibal then that would easily make you Clarice now wouldn't it, for now. I'm sure I'll be calling you Hannibal too soon enough."

I felt sick. I felt _very_ sick.

"Hey, look, don't worry about it now." She had said that before. "The craving won't hit for a while, you'll know when it does, and when the time comes me or someone else will help you out. It gets easier after the first time. And anyway, we have _some_ ethics; Mara only likes us to target male prey – usually harmful males – it's her thing."

I really didn't want to be having this conversation. And in her thoughts I could hear that she had already become tired of it. Her mind had turned to pleasanter things.

"On a brighter note," she grinned, "we have a shopping trip scheduled for today."

"What?"

By that time we had reached the dome, and in its centre another group had gathered. Within their psyche I felt a sense of anticipation; they were awaiting something – _a shopping trip?_ Impossible images of us trailing into a Mall off the Californian coast filled my mind.

Riana snorted, "Nothing like that… but still, that'd be cool. Our shopping sprees are a little different though." Before I could ask for details she pointed to a classically beautiful mermaid with waving blond hair who hovered at the crowd's centre. "Kiera is our designated supervisor today. Mara doesn't trust us on our own; she thinks we'll cause trouble."

"Will we?" I asked as we joined the others.

Two of them acknowledged Riana and I with greeting 'clicks'.

Riana shrugged. "It's always a possibility. Us girls like our fun."

When a gathering of about twenty had been compiled, the one named Kiera held up her hand. _Enough_, her thoughts told us. She would take no more. A few stragglers sighed and flitted back into the tunnels and then we were on our way, swimming up into the light above.

The ocean outside was clearer today, not so murky or dark, and with our keen vision we could see that much further.

"Does anyone see any sharks?" little Kali asked, nervously.

"None today," Kiera assured her, "Our numbers scare them away. You will be safe, as long as you remain _with the group_," she added pointedly, and the child nodded nervously.

"Ha," Riana barked a laugh, "I wouldn't worry on any account. We have Bella with us. You all know well how she likes to dance with sharks."

Before I could stutter or blush, Riana joined Lilith and a third girl with dark mahogany hair that I could not name. There was a tangible thrum of excitement among them now, as if at a long awaited event, even as I noticed it. A couple of mermaids nearby clicked eagerly, stirring the waters with excitement. But their thoughts churned so chaotically that I still could not gain any idea of where we were going or what precisely we were planning to do.

"I feel the need…" Lilith trailed off, looking at her two companions significantly, "the need, for speed," the three chorused gleefully, projecting themselves at rocket-speed into the far-gloom. They left only a triplet trail of white bubbles in their wake – a direct line to follow.

Their departure triggered the others like a chain-reaction, and soon there were white streaks trailing from all directions, shooting into the south like asteroids. The trails reminded me of the fluffy white paths that aeroplanes left in the sky.

"Zoooooooom," Kali squealed as she threw herself after them.

A happy laugh issued behind me and I spun to see Kiera, our supervising elder, smiling like an indulgent mother observing her child.

"Come," she said, and with an encouraging smile she grasped my wrist, "we'd best hurry or we'll lose them all."

Soon we'd joined the slipstream with the rest of our kin, riding the currents like jets.

…

_That boat is very far out_, I thought as I eyed the rusty tub bobbing on the waves. Paint flaked off its hull and half-tangled nets hung from its side. Lobster traps cluttered the deck and, on the whole, it hardly seemed sea-worthy. _Was this what they were getting all excited about?_

"Is this it?" I started to ask, but the words, spoken above water, became only a hiss and click. One massive perk of the mermaid change: we could not speak proper English above water – the changes to our voice-box and the gills did not allow coherent speech with air.

Beside me, Riana clicked a 'yes' in Mermish. I understood her perfectly, but no human would.

_It doesn't look much_, I thought. But Riana was beyond listening to me now. She, along with twenty other sets of eyes, trained ahead as Kiera swam gracefully to the vessel's side.

"Hail," she cried. Her voice was a shrill bark.

On board there was a scuffle, a thud; the sound of feet tangling, tripping and then righting themselves, and then, from the deck's sole cabin, a ragged-looking man emerged.

"Oh, hello ladies," he called with a jovial smile, "come, come, I have much for you to see today." He gestured for us to come closer and I saw the eager glints in the other's eyes.

A shadow of grey and black stubble adorned the man's jaw and his skin was tanned and weather-worn, as if he'd spent a great deal of his life out-doors. He wore the classic dungarees of a fisherman, and a woollen cap with feathered hooks covered his short salt-and-pepper hair. _He must be about Charlie's age_, I thought with a vague pang. And perhaps that was the part that struck me hardest, for it pin-pointed his most blaring aspect.

He was a human.

_If vampires are the blood-drinkers of the land_, Lilith had said, _then we are the blood-drinkers of the sea_. Suddenly I felt queasy. What exactly had they meant by a shopping trip?

"Riana…" I said, my worry rising, "We're not going to, err… _eat him_, are we?"

If her answer was 'yes' I was bolting in the next second.

"What, Gio?" she laughed, her brow crumpling, "Lord, no. Giovanni is our…" she hesitated, circling her wrist in the air as she thought, "Well, he's kind of like a _supplier_."

I glanced back at him. Riana and I stayed at a distance but our sisters ventured closer and he welcomed them all with smiles and cheerful greetings.

"…and he…" I trailed off suggestively

"Knows what we are?" Riana finished my unspoken question and scoffed. "Well, you'd have to be blind not to notice, and he's no blind-man. The voices are a dead give-away to our lack of humanity, _if_ he somehow failed to notice the scaly tails. Giovanni is a descendant of the _Cocopo_ tribe, a people who used to live along the South-West coast a few hundred years ago. They had a strong association with mermaids and what's left of the people know a lot about mermaid lore. They are 'believers'," she said, in the same way people say: '_the truth is out there_'. "And Giovanni here lost his daughter to the sea several years back. He hoped we'd taken her in but I've never seen her. He likes to ask all of the new faces about her, so be prepared for the photo albums."

That was a lot of information to process at once, Riana really did like to lay all the details out, but one question in particular popped to the front of my mind.

"You said he likes to _ask_. Does that mean he speaks like us?" _Does he 'click'?_

She looked at me as if I was a complete and total idiot.

"No," she scoffed, "no human can speak our language."

"Then what do you mean?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I said he likes to ask, that doesn't mean that we can answer. Just shake your head; he'll be okay with that."

Before I could ask anything else, Riana's eyes widened, practically sparkling as she looked ahead. "Oh, he has tin-foil!" she gasped, "Dibs!"

With that she shot forward and jostled for position among our sisters. I followed warily. There was a lot of excited clicking as I neared the vessel. A ramp had been lowered to the level of the waves and young mermaids cooed eagerly over metallic objects of all shapes and sizes that were displayed there: half-rusted cans, fractured photo-frames, dented colanders, bent spatulas and glittery steel chains.

"Shiny," one girl said, admiring the inner spokes of a bicycle wheel.

"Mine," another clicked making a grab for it.

The first girl held it out of reach and soon the two were grappling for possession of it. Their happy clicks devolved into snaps and hisses. The mermaids I had come to know all shared one fatal flaw – their love of anything sparkly, be it jewels or gold… or scrap-metal. They simply loved it, couldn't get enough of it. Locating Riana again in the noisy melee wasn't too difficult, her blood-red hair stood out like a traffic-cone, not that she'd appreciate the comparison. When I edged closer I found her examining a set of scuffed hub-caps.

"Why is he giving us this stuff?" I asked. He watched us from further back on his deck.

She shrugged, unperturbed by the nature of the unusual man's kindness.

"Giovanni is like the mermaid's version of Santa Claus," she grinned, handing me one of her caps – it came from a _Ford_, "happy holidays!"

Frowning, I muttered, "it's August."

As my sisters amused themselves with Giovanni's impressive collection of junk, I took more interest in his vessel. Swimming around it I viewed it from all angles. It wasn't a simple sail-boat, and it was definitely not a dingy. Nor was it cheap, no, in fact this had to have been a high class motor-boat in its hay-day. And it looked like it had served him well for a very long time. I knew little about mechanics but I could tell that much. He had also taken certain precautions, I noted. The sides were high; low enough to allow him to talk to us easily from where he stood but not low enough to let us get too close to him – clever man.

So he _did_ know us.

I was just eyeing the back propellers near the water-ramp, when the tramp of boots caught my attention, and glancing around I saw a pair of wellies facing me up on deck.

Looking up, I saw the weather-worn mariner eyeing me inquisitively.

"Oh," Giovanni said with surprise, "Well, hello there, young one."

Watching him closely, I drifted a little – out of reach.

"I've not seen you around here before," he continued, "you must be new."

Tentatively, I bobbed my head, taking care not to get close. Riana said he was okay and I was surrounded by my sisters, but still, he was a stranger. He seemed to sense my caution. Kneeling down on deck – perhaps so he appeared less threatening – he gentled his smile. Maybe I wasn't the first to act this way around him.

"What's your name?" he asked gently.

I baulked; opening and closing my mouth like a fish. Did he expect…

He laughed then. "I'm just messing with you, I know you can't speak. Tell you what; I'll give you a name. I do it for all of my regulars. See," and he pointed to my squabbling sisters, "that's: Azure, Nix, Luna, and Octavia. Bet I can think of a good'un for you."

_Oh no_, I flinched, _he was going to call me Ariel, wasn't he?_

"How about… Tirranna," he instantly shook his hand, "No, no, that's not right. Anahita, no…" Putting a hand to his bristly chin, he rubbed at the abrading stubble there, clearly thinking, "Xoco…" he finally nodded, seeming pleased. "Yeah, that'll do fine, Xoco."

_Xo… what?_

Giovanni took in my quizzical look. "It's an Aztec name of ancient origin," he explained, "meaning last born or youngest sister. In this case, you _are_ the youngest sister, or at least you are the newest I've seen so far. So it suits you well."

Okay… well, he seemed nice enough.

"Hey, mind if I show you a photo?" he said, pulling out a piece of crumpled paper from his pocket, "it's of my daughter, see."

The girl must have been about my age, perhaps a little older, with flowing black hair that glinted like a waterfall of shining jet. She was smiling and beautiful, and, in fact, she reminded me a little like Emily, Sam's fiancée, just without the disfiguring scars.

"Have you seen her about?" he asked, almost hopeful, "you know, in your roaming?"

Sadly, I shook my head and a little glint in his eyes seemed to die.

"Ah, well, maybe next time," he said, "there's a whole ocean to search. You come find me if you see her, mind. I just want to know that my little girl is okay."

For a moment, just a passing moment, I had a horribly haunting image of Charlie, a year from now, wandering the docks along the west coast showing off my photo and asking strangers if they had seen his beloved daughter. I gulped, my stomach quivering. Mermaids didn't feel anything, did they? Well that sensation in my gut felt an awful lot like dread…

"I'm always here or hereabouts," he continued with a sad little smile, and then he turned, fetching something that was stashed to the side under some rigging. "Here you go, Xoco," he said, picking up something metallic and offering it to me, "a present from me."

It was a set of forks… I couldn't help but grimace at the synchronicity of these objects to my town's name: Forks, figures. As I accepted the gift, I tried to smile, even though I was a little confused – _what was I going to do with a set of forks?_ Although… they _were_ shiny…

"And bear in mind that I'm not just here to look out for my daughter. I'm here for if any of you girls need help too… though none of you ever ask for it. Just… know that."

With a gruff nod, he turned back to the others – Tara was trying to make off with his fishing nets.

"Ah-ah," he chided, "those aren't for you, Nix. How about a nice shiny spoon instead?"

…

We swam home on mass with our treasure trove of prizes in tow. Riana gifted me with my own kelp pouch to stow my forks and hub-cap in, and before I could leave, Gio had given me a broken vintage-style pocket-watch too. I didn't know what I would do with it but I accepted it all the same. It was just so… _shiny_. It was surprising how much our spirits had been raised by the few battered gifts: from aluminium tin-cans to old car parts. As long as it was shiny we didn't really care what its original function had been. One girl even carried a door-hinge.

"So, you've been named and shamed," Riana said as she swam up beside me, "What did our land-dwelling friend decide to name you, huh?"

"Xoco," I said.

"What?" she scrunched up her face, "that's just bizarre. And I thought he was venturing into the realm of weird when he came up with _my_ name."

"What did he call you?"

"Cyralyn," she grimaced, "it means 'beautiful sun' or some such nonsense. He likes to give us names with meanings. He named Kali '_Chepi_' because it means 'little fairy', and he called Lilith '_Nukpana_' because it means 'evil'." Riana barked out a laugh then, "Lilith was _not_ happy about that one. Kiera had to stop her from clawing out his eyes. To be fair, he only named her that _after_ he caught her trying to incapacitate his motor."

All the sisters joined in with the laughter when Riana shared the memory between us.

_Lilith was livid, red-faced with tangled hair… and her thoughts screamed bloody murder as she lashed out with talon-like nails. She fought against Kiera and two other girls to claw her way to Giovanni, who was safely aboard his boat and well out of harm's way. He stood with his arms crossed and a grim set to his lips viewing the brawl with a frown. The other girls had to eventually haul her back to the colony to calm down_.

Lilith really did have temper issues sometimes.

"So what did he call you, Kiera?" I asked the beautiful elder.

"Omi-no-ta-go," she said, with an elegant accent, "its Cheyenne for 'Beautiful voice'."

Her smile dazzled, but I had to wonder if he had ever _heard_ her singing. Our voices were not designed for humans and above the waves they could make ears bleed. There wasn't any part of our voices that could be considered beautiful.

My questioning thoughts went unnoticed as the others continued the name-comparison session.

"He even named Mara," Riana said, "the one time her saw her. He used a Hepi name meaning 'Warrior Mother Spirit': _Hehewuti_. He understood that she is our leader."

Mara, keeping company with a human…? Not only that, but going out of her way to talk to one? That was unusual by any standard. From what I had come to know of Mara she rarely frequented the surface, would go nowhere near boats or sea-vessels of any kind, and she despised humans, men in particular. The idea of her willingly travelling to meet Giovanni was confusing to say the least.

This time the others noticed the direction of my thoughts.

"Mara is a sucker for a girl in distress," Riana said, "as soon as she heard the story of a father searching tirelessly for his lost daughter her interest was hooked. We brought her to meet him when he began to ask about his child, we thought that if anyone was able to help it would be our colony's leader, but Mara had never seen the girl. She allowed him to live as a courtesy. And since then he's been bringing us stuff!"

Conversation dulled for a while as we simply enjoyed the water. Swimming idly in each other's company out in the open was a rare occurrence that we well intended to exploit.

"Not that this isn't nice," I said, breaking into the comfortable silence as I eyed my new set of forks. "But why does he give us this stuff?"

"I don't know," Riana shrugged. "He just likes to indulge our acquisitiveness."

"I think it makes him happy to know that he's helping girls that have been taken by the sea, the way his daughter was," an unfamiliar voice added from behind.

A mermaid with platinum-blond hair drifted up beside us. We had dived into deeper waters now, and in the growing murk she floated alongside us like an ethereal ghost.

A brief mental consultation from Riana reminded me that her name was Lucrezia.

Considering her thoughts I revised her statement.

"By helping us he feels like he is helping his daughter."

"Precisely," she nodded gracefully and flitted ahead.

"That is… sad." Riana's brow creased, and she looked momentarily confused, as if the word and its associated emotion were alien to her, or long forgotten.

I could feel Riana's minor empathic struggle, because she was indeed feeling a little sad by the idea of Giovanni's lost daughter and his unending search for her, but she could not define the feeling. The confusion was frustrating her.

As soon as she caught the thread of my thoughts she shot them down completely, scoffing loudly and bitterly.

_Don't be ridiculous. Mermaids do not feel sad. _

That was the end of that conversation.

She shut me out after that and would discuss it no further – in thoughts or in words. Not that I was pressing the topic. I tried to talk to her of other things instead, of fish or of how the weather was faring above the sea, but she would say nothing else. So soon I gave up and my own thoughts drifted from Giovanni to Charlie and how he was doing back at home. I sighed. It was going to be a long journey back.

…

**Notes****: **_**Tirranna**_ **is an Australian name meaning 'Running water', and **_**Anahita**_** is an Indian name meaning 'Goddess of water'.**

**Someone asked last chapter: how long until they meet? … It's hard to say without spoilers. There is a BIG chapter coming up, several actually, but stuff happens before… Chapter 16 is one to watch out for, and Chapter 12 has – No! That's all I'm saying for now. :) **

**Review if you have a minute, please! I appreciate every one. **


	12. Chapter 12 - Home and House-Calls

**Thank you for reading and to everyone who is enjoying this story, Nemma. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

… 

Chapter 12: Home and House-calls – Jacob POV

"Yo! Hobo!" Jake called as he strode onto the beach.

_Though perhaps 'hobo' is the wrong word_, he thought, _no hobo could afford to slum it in such a swanky ride_. Seriously, the R.V. that was now parked in the passing place on the I101 beside the beach had two-floors, side-expansion panels, and an in-built heating system! And, if Jake's suspicions were correct, there was a Jacuzzi hidden somewhere in there too.

It reeked of high-class living almost as much as it reeked of vampire.

"You home?!" he called.

Edward had moved out here the day after Bella had disappeared and, when it had been made clear that he had no intension of leaving the beach where she had last been seen until he found her, Esme had turned up with the mechanical monstrosity the following day.

"Hello, Jacob," Edward said as he emerged from around the back, wiping his hands on a cloth. Jake smelt oil. Had he been tinkering with the engine? Well, he probably didn't have anything else to do out here but kill time. "What brings you out here? Anything new?"

Even Jake could hear the hopeful undertone, however much Cullen tried to supress it.

"No, nothing new," he said, "you'd have heard it straight off from my thoughts if there had been. Billy's taken over from Charlie today, Charlie finally crashed last night and no one had the heart to get him up. In fact, Billy actively discouraged it. Man needs some shut-eye."

"How is Charlie?" Edward asked.

"Bad, but you already know that too. He asked after you."

Edward only nodded, turning back to the van.

"So, has anything happened out here? Is there anything I should know about?"

Edward stilled, with his back to Jake.

"My searches have yet to prove fruitful," he said. Which, translated to: he'd found diddily-squat.

"My phrasing was a little less coarse," Edward noted.

"Bella used to use that phrase all the time when we were kids, you know" Jake said. "When she was eight she said it for a full week straight, drove everyone mad."

He hadn't really been thinking when he'd said it. The memory of an eight year old Bella hopping up and down on his lawn next to Charlie saying, 'Diddily-squat! Diddily-squat! Diddily-squat!' over and over again just popped into his head. But when Edward gasped, his eyes shot up. Edward was looking at him with such a peculiar expression, lips pressed tight, eyes blazing – oh, he knew that look, he'd been wearing it himself often enough this week. But the roiling depths of Edward's eyes looked infinitely worse.

"Sorry," Jake muttered, pushing the memory aside.

Edward turned away, looking to a tool-box on a nearby table. Seemingly at random, he began routing through the inside. When had it gotten to the point where he felt as though he had to tread on egg-shells around Edward? When had he suddenly reached a place where he felt he had to take care of Edward's feelings? Oh yeah, the day when Bella went missing.

"Erm… so, Newton and Crowley are running the search grid today," Jake said, in an effort to change the tone, "they've taken a few people to check out some different areas in-land… not that there's likely to be anything there, mind."

"That's probably a good thing," Edward noted with a swift nod. "We wouldn't want any more humans running into whatever took Bella by the sea. She would hate to know that people were harmed while searching for her."

"Yeah, my dad knows that, that's why he's directing the searches away from the danger zones – I guess we should call them that…"

"Appropriate nomenclature," Edward nodded.

_Nomen…what? No, never mind_, he thought, before Cullen felt the urge to explain. _I don't need a school lesson from a vampire._

"How are you doing at school, Jacob? You are still attending classes, aren't you?"

How did he manage to say that so plainly and yet still sound so much like a condescending adult?

"Seriously," Jake snapped, "you're going to pull the 'you should be in school, kid' crap on me. You _know_ I'm out here looking for her every hour of every day. _Just like you_." He paused, huffing, "Besides, it's only summer school."

Edward sighed, "Bella wouldn't be happy that you are forgoing your education."

"Yeah, well, Bella doesn't get a say in what I do. Not since she chose you!" Ouch, how those words still stung! "And neither do you for that matter! If you want to pull that crap then fine, but you're playing the human-role too. You're trying to convince Forks that you're just as much of a regular teen as the rest of us, so don't be a hypocrite."

Edward may have graduated alongside Bella, sure, and it was the summer holidays, but still… what he was doing out here was _far_ from normal. People had already started talking.

"I meant no offense, Jacob," he said, looking at him directly, "I meant only concern."

"Whatever." _Stupid, know-it-all vampire_…

Edward only sighed again and returned to his tool-box. Metal clanked and twanged as he routed about looking for God-only-knew what.

The beach was quiet today, as it usually was. Yellow and black tape still fluttered in the breeze from where Charlie had cordoned off the area when he'd finally gotten here, and seagulls still cawed, but there was nothing else. And with the waves lapping and the clouds gathering overhead the whole place was almost peaceful, serene…

"I really don't understand why you've set up camp here," Jake said as Edward retrieved a shiny silver ring spanner. "It's not like we've found anything to go on."

"Someone had to stay, just in case," Edward said. "And I am sure you have heard of the saying – a villain always return to the scene of the crime."

"You're hoping that whatever took Bella will come back here."

Doubt filled Jake's thoughts, though he said nothing aloud, but then… he didn't need to.

Edward's shoulders slumped as his eyes met Jacob's, and for a second, just a brief flash of a second, Jacob caught a glimpse of the turmoil within – the burning man.

"It's the only lead I have," he said.

"I know."

The tension crackled from him like static and it set Jake's hackles on edge. Ugh.

Trying for a more jovial tone, he added, "I guess it gives you a good excuse for a daily swim in the sea, at least that's refreshing."

Edward looked out to sea. "I have been swimming those tides for nearly ten hours a day. I have found nothing. No scents, no trace…"

Yeah, they were getting a whole lot of that at the moment – Nothing, nothing, and more nothing. If only something would crop up, anything, however small. If only some deity would take pity on them. If only they could catch a break.

… 

Later in the day, for lack of anything else to do, Jake took himself over to the Cullen house. It was time to see if Carlisle's offer of an 'open door' was really what it was. And, just to show what a grateful little pup he was, he strode straight through their front entrance without bothering to knock. Yeah, see what they make of that!

There was barely anyone there. A harassed-looking Jasper sat typing at a computer in a corner with freakish vampire speed, Esme was perusing a set of maps laid out on a low-lying glass coffee-table, and Carlisle was on the phone.

"…Dr Carlisle Cullen, how may I help? …Yes…"

On the other end of the line, Jake could hear a faint tinny voice speaking, _"Err, sorry I… err, someone I know gave me this number," _it said, _"they said you could help."_

"How may I be of assistance?" Carlisle asked politely.

One of his patients, most likely, Jake thought. And his attention waned.

The house was eerily quiet. The others must have been out searching, again. Jake sighed, he'd kind of been hoping for a shock-reception, at least a gasp or a surprised exclamation – after all, it wasn't every day that a real-life werewolf just waltzed alone into a vampire's living room unannounced but… not so much as an 'oh'.

"Is she a brunette?" Carlisle suddenly said, all politeness gone.

The whole room stilled. Every head snapped in his direction and poised, waiting…

Heart in his throat, Jacob strained to hear the voice at the other end of the line.

"_A brunette," _it said,_ "no, she has red-hair."_

Energy seemed to drain from the room, along with the thin shred of hope that had seeped in.

"What is her state?" Carlisle asked, his professionalism taking over.

Feeling the weight of despair wash over him, Jake turned to see the caramel-haired Esme looking up at him from her maps.

"Hello Jacob," she said kindly, "any news?"

"No, I was just… wandering," he said, rather lamely, "Thought I'd drop in."

Smiling, she stood, "You are always welcome. You look exhausted. Would you like to rest? We have several bedrooms you could choose from, I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind if you used his."

She was_ sure?_ Jacob wasn't. He nearly snorted. In fact, he was sure that Edward would have a few choice words about a werewolf sleeping in his room… or at least he would if he still cared. No, he should _not_ feel bad that Edward felt bad! Even if the cause for his sorrow matched Jake's own.

Jake sighed. "Err, thanks, but no, I'm good."

Besides, he'd never be able to sleep with that horrid sickly-sweet stink that saturated the place. It was seriously making his eyes water!

"Some food then," she said.

And before Jake could answer she had flitted into the kitchen. Then came the clink of pots and pans, the opening of a fridge, and the click of an oven.

He could have groaned.

"Might as well take a seat," Jasper commented from the computer. "She's going to cook you something whether you like it or not."

Maybe he could just walk out…

Jasper's eyes snapped up. Geez these vamps sensed everything!

"It's good of you to visit," he said with heavy significance. "It will be good for Esme to be able to take care of someone human for a change."

Great, now he felt bad for another one of them. Since when had he reached the point where he felt the need to make vampires feel good? It was stupid… but that didn't stop him feeling bad about hurting Esme's feelings. Perhaps it was because of how motherly she looked; since he had seen her with Edward that day on the beach he couldn't shift that image from his head. The way she held him, the way she rocked him back and forth… He couldn't help seeing her in a different light now. She reminded him so much of his own mother… the one he had lost so many years ago…

Jasper's lips quirked slightly and he returned to tapping at his keyboard. _Stupid, smug empath sensing everything I want to do_, Jake thought_. I hate vampires_.

Bracing himself for what was likely to be a trial in manners, Jake sat.

Carlisle was still on the phone.

"You haven't rang the emergency services for help have you?" he was saying. There was a long, static-filled pause. Whoever was on the other end of the line was keeping quiet. Then Carlisle quietly added, "A Humboldt squid attacked her you say? That is unusual; I can't say I've ever seen that… Where are you exactly? And who gave you this number?" There was another long pause, and then, "Hmm, they hung up."

Carlisle placed the phone back in its cradle.

"Anything?" Jake gestured towards the phone.

"No," Carlisle said. He sounded exhausted, "Just a fisherman in need of aid."

… 

**I'm going to be in Scotland for the next week, without internet access, so I won't be able to reply to anyone, but please leave me some nice reviews to come back to. **

**Pretty please :) **

**Oh, and also, I am quite sure that I have the T rating for this story right, but due to some of the later content it might change to M. Let me know if this will affect anyone. **


	13. Chapter 13 - The Sea of Cortez

**Back from Scotland, and after a **_**very**_** long drive I managed to sit down and finish editing this… **

**Thank you for reading, and enjoy, Nemma. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

… 

Chapter 13: The Sea of Cortez – BPOV

One particular notion took precedence over all the others. It rooted itself into my brain and burrowed deep, taking a hold and demanding attention until it became all that I could think about: the mariner, Giovanni, had a phone… It had seen it sticking out of his pocket when we had visited his vessel. And I knew the Cullen's number.

Riana heard my plotting.

"You can't go back to them," she said, shaking her fox-red mane, "they'll never accept you as you are now. You know this. Everyone will be better off thinking that you are dead."

She decidedly shot my ideas down before they were even fully formed. I couldn't even fantasise about rescues and reunions; I wasn't even left with that. This unrestricted mental telepathy really sucked at times. Unfortunately, her words rung true and reminded me unerringly of a conversation Jake and I had had about my becoming a vampire.

_Better you be dead than one of them._

How could he think differently about any other species of blood-sucking supernatural? Mermaids preyed on humans, I was told, not just fish, and to Jake that would be that.

Edward wasn't as judgemental… although he'd definitely had issues with the wolves. Human, I knew he wanted; Vampire, if he was pushed; but mermaid? Funnily enough, the topic of another type of species-conversion had never come up. Was this a step too far? Was this what would finally break us up? I wasn't sure if I was ready to find out yet.

Later that day though, I was presented with an opportunity I had been waiting for.

"That's Randall," Riana whispered, as we stopped and stared, "Our resident vampire."

In the tunnel ahead stood a man, smiling at a blond girl I soon recognised as Kiera.

Excitement and anticipation zinged through my veins. Randall, the vampire that had carried me home after the shark bite, the vampire that may know other vampires, the vamp-

A shadow from a nearby tunnel detached itself and began to take form. Suddenly Mara was stood before us – in all her fearsome dark beauty. Her eyes were darker than black.

_Be careful what you say to that man_, she warned, her voice tickling my mind.

_Bella was just going to thank him_, Riana chipped in, _you know, because he carried her home…_ Under Mara's piercing glare, she trailed into submissive silence.

_Make sure that is all you do, Bella. Remember it is not only your own safety I worry for, but that of your sisters'. Would you put their lives in jeopardy just to pass along a message?_

I baulked, wondering how such a subconscious desire had been made so clear.

_No! _I protested, _I would never-_

_-You are not to say anything of the Cullens to him,_ she interrupted,_ understood?_

_But-_

_He is _not_ to be asked about them! Not a single word! _

_And what if he already knows? _My mental tone had a surprisingly waspish sting to it.

_He doesn't_. Her tone was flat and expressionless but somehow confident. _Kiera has assured me of that_.

And with that she vanished into the tunnels behind us, merging seamlessly into shadow.

For a moment I hovered, blinking as if I were recovering from whiplash. A hope that had been slowing sprouting and uncurling within withered and died.

_Bella_, another sweet voice chirped. Aloud, it said, "Sister, come meet Randall."

Looking up, I saw that the beautiful Kiera was waving me over to her and the vampire at her side, who stood strangely upright in the sandy corridors where no one walked.

"Randall," she smiled, beaming at the man with rusty brown hair and burgundy eyes, "I believe you have not officially met our new young one, Bella? Giovanni calls her Xoco."

"Not while awake," he smiled, as his short hair floated eerily around his pale face.

Like all those of his kind, he bore an unnatural stillness, and a beauty that a veiled darkness that caused the spine to shiver. He inclined his head slightly as Riana and I drifted closer.

"I hope your recovery was not too arduous?" he continued, all politeness.

"No, thank you, it was not," I answered in the same tongue. English, as with most land-walker languages was easily discernible beneath the waves; it was just above them that our voice-boxes had problems. "And thank you for your help the other day."

We talked quietly, back and forth, exchanging pleasantries, and a part of me was amazed that he managed to form his words so well without air, but another part of me, one that was growing louder by the minute, was silently screaming to ask his about the Cullens. Perhaps he knew of Carlisle, perhaps he had visited them. But always, I was ever conscious of the other minds monitoring mine. Mara, too, still lurked on the periphery of my thoughts.

In the end, I never voiced those words. And Riana and I departed without incident.

"Probably for the best," Riana said later that day as I wallowed, "it would have only led to heartbreak. Like I said before, the surface-dwellers are better off not knowing about you."

Riana wasn't being malicious; I could read that in her easily enough. She only meant to warn me, and I could only guess that that warning had come from experience – hers or others. After all, she was _pro_-vampire. If anyone was going to encourage me to contact my estranged fiancé it would have been her.

I missed Edward though, more with each passing day. When my moping became too much for Riana, she took me away from the colony on an excavation hunt. That was what she called it. There was a sunken ship, wrecked far to the south-east just in the Gulf of California, and some of the sisters had been combing it intermittently for supplies and anything sparkly. Riana thought that it would be a good thing to occupy my strangely unmermaid-like thoughts.

"I should have been a tour guide," she said, as we perused the outer hull. It was decrepit and crumbling, and its surface was already riddled with straggly dark weeds and scratchy white barnacles. "I was training for the wrong profession when I was in college."

"What were you training for?"

My curiosity spiked, I'd never asked her much about her human life and she'd never volunteered any details before.

"Journalism," she grimaced. "I'd got it into my head that I wanted to be the editor of a hot-hitting inner-city newspaper like the 'New York Times' or the 'Chicago Tribune'."

"Yeah," I smiled and nodded, "I could imagine that. You strike me as the type."

_The type the whole office would be terrified to offend in case it cost them their jobs_. Hot-hitting newspaper run by the fiery red-head? It could have happened. I could just picture her in a black suit, with clacking high-heels and dark squared-rimmed glasses, and a look that could kill should the coffee-boy dare to get her order wrong.

Riana watched my projected imaginings, and her lips quirked in dry amusement.

"I would totally own that tyrannical bitch mode." She grinned, and sighed. "Alas, it was not meant to be."

"You could always set up your newspaper," I suggested, "for the Colony."

"Eh?"

"Well, it's not like we have one, or any system set in place like it, and we have nothing but time at our disposal…" I said as we ventured into a huge hole in the ship's side.

Perusing her lips, she lapsed into consideration as I began to pick around the debris inside. "Nice idea," she eventually said, "but you're forgetting – paper dissolves when wet."

"Then don't use paper. I'm sure you could figure something out."

"What would we call it anyhow, the 'Daily Splash'?"

I cringed theatrically.

"How about: 'The Goby Gazette'?" she added, beginning to grin. 'The Starfish', 'The New Tuna Times', Oh! I know – 'The Daily Dakara'!"

"Perhaps you should just stick to simplicity and go with 'The Mermaid News'."

"That's just dull!" she complained, and her nose crumpled comically, "you have no creativity at all, Bella. You might as well just go with 'The Angling Times'."

"That's copyrighted."

Eventually Riana sighed and the laughter drained from her face.

"It's nice idea… but pointless when the whole colony can pass along all of the information we need in a single thought."

"True," I sighed.

And that was the end of that idea. When I had seen her face light up at the first mention, I had thought the whimsical notion had potential. Still, it was a point of amusement and we laughed about it as we scoured the crumbling wreckage. There wasn't much decent stuff left, it had long since been picked clean, but we did find an old enamelled comb – missing a couple of prongs but useable – two dented buckets, and an old music box with a little ballerina inside that would not play in the water. I was just putting the last of our treasures away into my kelp back-pack when Riana lifted a piece of metal sheeting and a black shadow flashed towards her.

"ARGH!" she cried, tumbling back with her arms upraised.

The black shadow latched onto her forearm as she twisted and struggled. It took a moment for me to blink, confused, and then my stance broke and I darted to help her. The creature was small, maybe the size of a cat, and coloured the deep burgundy of blood. As they flailed I thought I saw tentacles – _a squid?_ It took us a long time to grapple with the damn thing. Whatever I did it wouldn't let go of Riana's arm and soon she was screaming.

I thought she was panicking and tried to calm her down while I struggled with the creature's slippery flesh – it was like lubricated rubber! – but that was before the cloud of red blossomed from beneath its tentacles. And I smelt iron. _Oh God, it's bitten through the skin_.

"The beak!" Riana screamed. "It's the beak!"

Crap. In biology class I'd heard about that. Some squids had beaks that were more powerful than teeth. They cut flesh, crushed bone. I panicked in earnest, but everything I did was no good. No matter how much I scratched and scrabbled and pulled I could not pry the thing lose. In desperation I called for our sisters, screaming aloud and telepathically for anyone within reach. Perhaps there were a few nearby, perhaps they would hear… but my high echoic clicks went unanswered. No, none were nearby.

We were in treacherous waters here, close to the tropics, and her blood would not go unnoticed for long. _Sharks_, my thoughts shook and my eyes darted. I could see nothing yet, no huge dark shadows looming in the gloom, but that meant nothing.

There was no way we could stay. I had to get her out of here.

The colony was too far though, and she was in too much pain. I could continue calling for our sisters, but I _knew_ that they were too far away – back near Dakara. The only thoughts nearby were Riana's and Riana's alone. And even those were becoming foggy as she quieted.

"What do I do?" I asked in desperation.

She grated something that I did not hear and I leaned in close. She was weakening now; the waters were thick with red mist, her struggles had slowed, and her voice barely carried.

"Giovanni," it sounded like she hissed.

"Can he help?" I asked in disbelief

_Riana was openly requesting the help of a human? _Well he did say that we could go to him with anything. She didn't say anything further, but in her mind she projected an image of the grizzled old sailor with an urgency I had never felt from her before.

"Okay," I agreed.

I didn't need any more incentive than that. Gaining a firm grip on her waist, I propelled us into the dark waters in the direction we had last seen his ship.

… 

Giovanni was untangling a length of netting, removing sticks, shells, and bits of seaweed. When I surfaced he was battling with a sea-beaten old boot that clearly did not want to come loose, its laces had tangled in the weave.

"Well hello, Xoco," he said with a delighted smile when he spotted me. "I didn't expect to see you so-" He stopped short as he took in my frantic eyes and Riana's limp form.

Her state had grown dire, worsening as we swam. Now her pale skin had an oddly grey cast and there were shadows beneath her eyes. The savage squid had broken loose sometime during our swim and vanished, and now the flesh of her arm hung open grotesquely, strips of it flapping in the waves. My stomach flipped, its contents threatening to abandon ship.

"Help her," I implored, forgetting my limited language ability above the water.

All that came out was a strangled screech.

Giovanni was already hurrying forward. Without preamble he jumped down onto the lower platform of the boat, the one that was almost level with the water, reached out to us and dragged Riana closer. For an instant I was surprised, to allow himself to be so close to us was risking his safety and if this had been a trick he would already be dead. He didn't seem to even consider the danger he was placing himself in though.

"What happened?" he asked, all seriousness as Riana's head flopped back in his arms.

She still slumped in the water; only her scaly emerald torso was visible. So I pulled her arm out of the surf and placed the damaged limb in his hand. It looked worse above water.

Giovanni examined it briefly while I tried to mimic tentacles with my hand. He was never going to get it. Amazingly, he muttered, "Humboldt squid," and, gently placing Riana's head against the lower deck while I held her waist, he rushed to a box stashed under a seat on the port-side of the deck. He threw things aside in a frenzy but soon seemed to find whatever it was he was after and ran back to us.

"Help me lift her aboard," he said.

I complied without question, but we only succeeded in towing her so far, most of her tail was still in the water, but it was enough. Pulling out lengths of cloth he began to apply pressure to the now barely weeping wounds. How much blood had she lost?

Vainly I thought of Carlisle as my hands gripped the deck, sure that he would have been able to help more effectively. Not that I was ungrateful for Giovanni's help, I wasn't, if anyone could save her now it would be him. That didn't stop the niggling feeling in the back of my mind that wanted Carlisle. Carlisle would have been better. And he was far away…

_Shush now_, I reprimanded myself, _you are in the Cortez Sea and far from his help. Even if you had gotten word to him it would have taken too long for him to get here, vampire speed included. Not to mention all the other issues that would have been raised by contacting him._

"The bleeding's slowed but I don't know whether that's a good thing," Giovanni admitted, shaking his head, "I'm afraid that my medical knowledge is frighteningly deficient and what I know purely relates to humans. Her breathing worries me…"

Breaths rattled in her chest. Her eyes were closed. And Giovanni looked up morosely.

"Really, she needs a hospital."

My gasp said more than any words could.

"I know it's not possible," he sighed, rubbing his stubbly salt-and-pepper beard. He paused, slowly looking up. "How far is it to the colony?"

Grimacing, I shook my head. It was too far and I didn't know how the mermaids would react to him encroaching on their territory. We could be viciously hostile when provoked. They tolerated him from a distance, because he provided us with shiny things, but I feared their tolerance would wane if he became too knowledgeable of us. Giovanni seemed like a good man, I didn't want him to get hurt. I had been told that he wanted to find out as much as he could about mermaids ever since his daughter had vanished, and while I didn't think he would use this situation to his advantage his suggestion worried me. But Riana needed help…

No, the colony was just too far; by boat it would take even longer to reach than by swimming alone. And if I swam there was the issue of the blood and the sharks…

But… there _was_ another option…

I was bending the rules just by considering it; more than bending I was twisting them into knots. As was usually the case with me I fretted constantly over the consequences of an upcoming decision, but once said decision was made I relaxed, half the anxiety was in the unknowing, and really, I'd already made up my mind as soon as I'd thought of it.

Without further delay I snatched the phone from his pocket – causing him to flinch back in alarm at my quick movements – and keyed in the number. Holding it out to Giovanni with an imploring look I only hoped he could interpret, I left it up to him to press call.

For a moment, all he did was gape, then, he dialled the number, watching me carefully.

I think – or rather hoped – that he understood the gravity of this situation. The only land-walkers I would know shouldn't be privy to my current state. To contact them now…

"_You've reached Dr Carlisle Cullen, how may I help?"_

"Doctor?!" Giovanni exclaimed with surprise, looking at me with wide eyes.

"_Yes…"_

"Err, sorry I… err, someone I know gave me this number, they said you could help."

"_How may I be of assistance?"_

"I have a young girl here, she's injured."

"_Is she a brunette?"_

His voice was suddenly frantic, not polite and casual, and Giovanni frowned a little.

"A brunette, no," he said, eyeing my dark tresses, "She has red-hair."

I heard what could have been a disappointed sigh on the other end of the line.

"_What is her state? What has happened to her?"_

"I'm far from help and I have limited medical supplies. She isn't well; she was brought to me with injuries. She was attacked by a Humboldt squid, it mauled her arm."

I phased out a little, as Carlisle hurriedly instructed Giovanni as to her care and Giovanni mechanically repeated whatever he heard as he checked Riana. Giovanni continued to clean and dress her wound with only the odd "yes" and "okay". At one point he said "Xoco, hand me those bandages." My stomach flipped before my brain could kick into gear and remind me that Carlisle did not know that name. In the end it turned out that Giovanni had done a reasonable job – or at least as good as he could considering the circumstances – and there didn't seem to be much else Carlisle could tell him. It was clear she needed stitches but Giovanni was reluctant to attempt those considering he had done nothing of the type before. I could only hope that there would be better help at the colony, perhaps from Mara.

"_How is her temperature?"_ Carlisle's voice then asked.

Giovanni checked. "She's very cold…"

Shaking my head, I tried to indicate that this wasn't necessarily an issue. To emphasise my point I took his hand and placed it on my forehead – icy. We were cold-blooded beings.

"Oh," he said, acknowledging the chill.

"_What is it?"_

"That, err, never mind."

"_She needs a hospital, as soon as possible. My instruction alone is not enough to ensure her health."_

"I am too far away. There are no hospitals for miles."

"_I understand, but you should get the girl to one as soon as possible."_

"I fear that she doesn't want to go to one."

There was a pause.

"_You haven't rang the emergency services for help have you?"_

Giovanni didn't say anything; he didn't know what to say. We were treading dangerous waters now. When Carlisle's voice returned, it was slow, as if he were considering.

"_A Humboldt squid attacked her you say? That is unusual. I can't say I've ever seen that… Where are you exactly? And who gave you this number?"_

"We're in the Sea of…" he trailed off as he noticed me shaking my head. "Thank you for your help, doctor."

He hung up.

That was probably a good move, but still, I felt the disconnection ring in my gut as if a taught line had been severed and I was reeling from whiplash.

_Focus_, I had other things to focus on – Riana.

Now Riana was stable, or as stable as she was going to get, I really needed to get her back to the colony… and if Giovanni was willing to provide safe transportation while I held onto Riana and stemmed the bleeding…

"Will you allow me to take you home now?" he asked.

Against my better judgement, I climbed on-board beside Riana and allowed Giovanni to take us closer to the colony. It was just too dangerous to move Riana so far in her current condition. But still, I let our tails trail in the water off the end of the deck… just in case.

As the motor juddered and we got underway, Giovanni quietly steered the helm. I mutely pointed towards the western horizon and he rotated two points to starboard to match.

"Was that man your father?" he said unexpectedly, eyes ahead.

I didn't respond, watching the ocean fly past. It wasn't like I could speak anyway.

"I'd want to know what had happened to my daughter, no matter what that was. Maybe you could…" I looked at him sadly and away again. "Or perhaps it's none of my business."

No, it wasn't his business. Frowning, I tugged Riana closer, enclosing her in the safety of my arms. I wasn't about to let her go and as much as she seemed to trust this human, and as nice as he appeared, at the first sign of deceit I was throwing us both back into the sea.

… 

**Just to remind people of my note last week – I may be changing the rating of this story to M, not certain yet. No one has told me that this will be a problem yet, but if it will be to anyone reading, please let me know.**

**Hope you liked the new chapter. Please take time to review :) **


	14. Chapter 14 - Ethics and Resolutions

**This is a bit of a filler chapter, but it had to be done. Pace picks up again after this.… **

**Thank you for reading, and enjoy, Nemma. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

… 

Chapter 14: Ethics and Resolutions – BPOV

Riana's recovery did not take as long as I had anticipated. Mara was particularly attentive to her and mindful of her care; she foraged for and brought back a number of unusual seaweeds that she said had medicinal value. I watched with great interest as she mixed them together in pastes and poultices. She had to go above water in one of our air-rooms to make the pastes. Carlisle would have been fascinated, I was sure.

As she regained her health, Riana became more and more alert. Her hunger seemed to run parallel to her grumpiness – if one was high, then so was the other. And the quicker she got better the sharper her temper became, until the point at which anything could set it off.

"Tuna?!" she snapped. "Tuna, I don't want that muck! I'm recovering from a serious injury! Get me _shark_ meat!"

That statement was usually followed by her tuna-steak flying across the chamber. Even with one arm bound in a seaweed sling, she still managed to throw really well. And she would not be happy until someone complied. I remembered how bad Lilith had reacted to Giovanni's name for her and I wondered if flash-tempers were a mermaid trait. I hoped not.

As one of our sisters brought in a platter of fresh lemon-shark fillets, I sat at Riana's side to keep her company. _She looks so much better now_, I mused, _better than she did when Giovanni delivered her to Mara's waiting arms not half a mile from our underwater lair_.

Thinking back, I remembered how, as the boat had chugged closer and the underwater alarm calls had gone out, I had telepathically screamed at our sisters not to attack him. Once they realised that two of their own were on board, their alarm had ratcheted up another notch. But as I replayed the memories, and showed them how Giovanni had helped, their anger had simmered down enough for them to think clearly and not butcher the poor man.

Mara's reaction to Giovanni was a one-eighty to what I had expected. She was cheerfully grateful for his assistance in the return of her injured daughter and for his amateur medical aid. She even went so far as to go and thank him personally.

For Mara that was unheard of. And I was left gobsmacked.

I was just telling Riana about Mara's agreeable attitude when another thought occurred.

"You know," I said, "for being the fastest species in the ocean, we don't seem to fair too well among its other species. Between my shark bite and your Humboldt squid attack we're really raking up the war-wounds."

"Yeah," she laughed in her kelp-bed, and studiously examined her bound arm, "we do get ourselves into some scrapes. I didn't before I met you. You're a bad influence."

By her joking tone I could tell that she didn't really mean it.

"_I'm_ the bad influence?" I choked out a laugh.

"Damn right, vampire girl."

I sighed. "How _did_ neither of us see that thing coming?"

The creature had just dived at her from out of the gloom. There had been no sound, no warning. Riana nodded sadly.

"We maybe supernaturally fast but our other senses can be somewhat lacking. We're like F1 rally racers, we have awesome track skills but when the pedal hits the metal…"

Vampires had much better control over their speed. Feeling nostalgic, I remembered back to when I would ride on Edward's back as he ran at light-speed through the forest. I had worried that Edward would hit a tree whilst carrying me. He just ran so fast… Worryingly, the memory was rather murky and difficult to recall. _What shirt had he worn that day?_

"That is rather cute," Riana commented as she browsed my current train of thought. "You were dating a vampire, frequently visiting his vampire family without anyone else's knowledge, and the part that had you worried most was that he'd crash with you while running too fast, _not_ that he or his family might drain you dry and stash your body where that no one would ever find it."

Another slab of shark meat made its way to her mouth and was immediately torn to shreds by her razor-sharp teeth, fangs included.

That comment irritated me. "They're not like that."

Shark hide shredded and bits drifted into the water, a little blood leaked out too.

"Hey, I wasn't having a go at you, squirt." She held her hands up as she munched. "Just saying is all. Considering that all you knew about them was that they were vampires – something they were trying to keep hidden – I just think it was a pretty brave thing to do."

"What… date Edward?" _A brave thing to do…? _

"Yeah or maybe I'm using the wrong term. What's the word that describes the place exactly between brave and blindly stupid?"

"Shut up."

I threw her kelp-weave blanket at her. The move would have been more effective above water, below it lacked momentum and fluttered benignly in front of her face. She swatted it aside.

"…and you were best friends with a werewolf," she continued, undeterred, "you hung out with his pack. Now you're living with a horde of blood-thirsty mermaids. I'm thinking you lack the essential genetic code for survival instinct."

Hey, I was still here.

"You aren't the first one to say that," I admitted. Danger did seem to stalk my every step. "But what about you? You survived a newborn vampire attack and are now living with same said colony of blood-hungry mermaids. You know, you're only one step behind me in the 'how many supernaturals have I met' race."

"True, I suppose, but I didn't befriend _my_ vampire, let alone date him. My current state of just-about-living can be attributed to pure dumb luck. _Thank you, fates_."

My life could too, I guessed. Against the odds I was still here. Then again, I could be in a better situation. Perspective all depended on whether you were the glass is half-full or the glass is half-empty type of person. In which case, mine was half-full. As much as I'd rather be at Edward's side right now, or snuggled safely in his arms, I was grateful for the life I had. After all, there was still a chance, no matter how minute, that I could still retrieve a portion of what I'd had with him, my old life. Or at least, I still _hoped_ that there was a chance.

_What if he doesn't want me anymore? What if he sees me like this and that's it?_

_What if Riana is right?_

As always, my treacherous fears weighed me down. The worry was always there and for the most part it went ignored, there was no point dwelling in misery just yet. I could always do that later when my predictions came to fruition… If! …_If_ they came to fruition.

I just had to hope that they never would.

… 

Hours became days, days became weeks, and somehow, by some miracle of fate, I maintained my sanity and found a way to live. To survive the madness that surrounded me. Yes, it was difficult, how could it not be? Away from the people I loved: my family, my friends, Charlie, Alice, Jake… and most importantly, Edward.

Being away from Edward was the hardest part, but it didn't hurt as much as our separations used to. Perhaps that was due to mermaid-genetics – Riana said they would dull my sensitivities with time. Or maybe it was because I knew that he was safe with his family and that wherever he was, he still loved me. I had not been privy to that vital piece of life-preserving knowledge last fall when he'd left me 'for my own good'. This separation was different. I missed him but I could function. He probably felt it more acutely…

My memories now lay solidly in my head, and that was good. But memory was not emotion. And without that I had no driving passion to return home.

Acceptance into the colony was the easy part, to them I was one among many and in the freezing ice-cold venom of change I had become something substantially more, kin, a treasured sister. Inclusion in the sisterhood was unconditional.

If I could not describe their immediate and unrestricted acceptance of me as anything else, I would say it was love. But then, mermaids did not experience that type of emotion.

Mermaids did not love.

Riana taught me to hunt when she was well enough. I could now spot and track tuna, cod, halibut and any number of other North Pacific fish from a half-mile radius without too much trouble. Kali took joy in braiding my hair with tiny little plaits, and showed me the styles preferred by most mermaids of the North Pacific (apparently fashions varied between seas and colonies). Other nameless sisters temporarily overtook my training and the duties of my care, teaching me to: forage shells, weave seaweed blankets, deflect sharks using a high-pitched alarm-signal whenever they ventured too close, maintain a constant watch on the area surrounding our colony (guard duty was on rotation and my shift came up every fifth day), and clean out the tunnels (we used our tails but even with the added novelty of it being underwater, cleaning was about as much fun as it was on the surface, but it needed doing). I was told that there were other duties but those were reserved for the more senior members and new arrivals were not expected to contribute until their second year of ocean-life. No one bothered to give me any specifics of those mysterious tasks and I got the idea that I was better off not knowing just yet. One mermaid – whose name I never learnt and who communicated purely through telepathic imagery – taught me to forage, showing me which seaweeds provided the best nutrition and the best places to gather cockles and muscles. Even Mara took time to check in on me and see how I was progressing. One day, while we swam together, I thought I felt a subtle tug at my mind but when I focussed I couldn't feel it anymore, and when I looked to Mara she was staring ahead at a coral bed. After that I couldn't seem to remember what I had been thinking about. It was important… I was sure…

Three weeks into my residence she presented me with my own personally inscribed knife and hunting belt. It was beautiful. Composed of a material similar to leather, the brown belt was decorated with Celtic patterning, interlaced with thin and subtle strings of gold which covered its length, including the dagger's sheath. My hunting knife was simple in design but effective and when I examined it closely I noticed my name etched in perfect calligraphy along its hilt. The construction of such a gift had obviously taken a lot of time and effort, it left me speechless. Mara merely smiled at my dumbfounded expression and told me: "You are my daughter now, and my daughters deserve no less."

However, when I was alone I was never allowed further away than the closely guarded perimeter of the colony lands. For all the grandeur and gifts and pretences, I was not blinded to the fact that I was still a prisoner in a gilded cage. They did not trust me not to run.

Eventually I _was_ trusted enough to be alone; this privilege afforded a certain measure of liberty and allowed me to roam more freely. My sister's eyes became less watchful and I became less guarded. The colony became less like a glorified prison-camp. I integrated. I made friends. My mind merged with others and thoughts flowed freely, without caution or restraint. I spoke using words less and less, as there was no need to speak verbally when the mind said it all. I became one among many and I was happy about it, there was a certain degree of freedom in the hive-mind of my sisters, where little went unnoticed. Who would crave lonely individuality when you could be one of a whole?

Overtime, my knowledge of the surface-world began to fade. Like a light-bulb on a dimmer switch my memories of people became less defined, their voices less articulate. It began by degrees; one day I found that I could not remember the exact shade of Charlie's hair, or the lilting tone of Alice's soprano voice… or the signature scent of Edward's skin. It was like my mind had become the sieve Edward had once accused it of being. This was not terribly troubling, as my sisters informed me that it was a common occurrence. They had all experienced similar and were there for me should I need them. They were, after all, my family now, my sisters. They told me not to worry, therefore I did not.

Life was, if not perfect, at least tolerable. The problems came one morning when Riana re-introduced me to another fundamental dietary requirement.

"You want me to drink human blood?" I said flatly.

She beamed with what she considered to be an angelic smile of encouragement.

"_No_." She held the smile strictly in place, but it looked like she was trying to hold onto her patience. Her mind betrayed her; she was already anticipating a row of epic proportions. "_You_ want _you_ to drink human blood."

"No, I don't." I shot the idea down immediately.

"Yes, you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes you-"

"No!" I was firm on this. I had already seen their methods of feeding through our telepathic link and those images would haunt me for life, "In a thousand different ways no."

She sighed and rubbed her brow, exasperated. "Well, this is a good start." She appeared to be communing with the ceiling. "What if," she held up her hands as if she expected me to stop her before she had her say, "What if I go and get the blood _for_ you? I'll just nip into the meat-locker drain a few pints and bring it back. Simple, easy, no gore involved for you."

I looked at her incredulously. "There's fresh blood in the meat-locker?"

She smiled. "Yes. I'll even go as far as to pretend it's tomato soup, or cranberry juice."

"You're joking right?" Her face said she wasn't. "That doesn't make a difference."

"Would you prefer Randall to do it?" she frowned quizzically, "I could always ask-"

"No!"

"Why not?" She grimaced impatiently. "What is the problem with you and blood?"

"I… I…" I struggled with my thoughts, trying to dredge up a valid reason. There had to be one… "I faint at the smell of it. I've never been able to stand that horrible irony tang."

There! That was the reason… I remembered now. _A biology lab… A boy's finger being pierced, the cloying scent and the accompanying dizziness… Edward carried me to the nurse's office and laughed at me for my nausea…_ How had a forgotten that?

But that wasn't the primary reason I disagreed… was it?

Riana laughed knowingly. "Trust me, that particular problem will be a thing of the past when the smell hits you again. You won't care about fainting."

"I have other reasons."

"Oh, really! Surprise me."

"It's wrong." My moral ethics finally kicked in. "I refuse to kill a human."

Edward was a blood-drinker, Jacob called him a leech but he had never hurt humans to control his thirst. At least he didn't now. He survived differently…

"Oh, not this again, Bella…" In a very Edward-like moment she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I really don't see the problem with preying on blood-bags."

"The problem is _we_ used to be _them_. Those 'blood-bags', as you have so affectionately dub them, could be friends, family."

She shrugged, "Well, don't eat your family then. It's simple, restrict your hunting grounds. Track prey in the South, you have no relatives down there, right?"

"Even if they are not people I know personally, they have lives and emotions and people who depend on them."

"Chickens and cows have offspring that depend on them, and they depend on the farmer that feeds them, we still ate them when we were human."

She had a point, not one that I was willing to concede though.

"Humans are a little different to food picked up from the freezer aisle."

"You ate meat while you were human, right?" she said, "Or are you going to tell me you were a vegetarian too?"

I almost said I was, but didn't bother with the lie, one cursory glance at my thoughts would reveal my fetish for Kentucky fried chicken, or my lifelong love affair with red meat of any form, spare ribs and fillet steak dripping barbeque sauce…

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I barked, "We are not having this discussion."

My sudden hunger was making me snappy.

"Alright," she conceded, "but I'll tell you now – if you don't deal with this sooner, you're going to have to deal with it later. This issue isn't one that can be put off indefinitely. It won't go away. You _will_ crave blood, and you _won't_ be able to deny the thirst. You've already been with us for two weeks; I give you a month, tops. If you don't sort this out soon it'll come back to bite you in the ass. Or more likely, you'll bite someone else in the ass. Just let me know when the blood-lust hits and I'll go hang around on the other side of the ocean."

I didn't appreciate the sarcasm.

… 

That night I kept tossing and turning and stirring up the sandy sea-bed in my cave. I couldn't settle. Whenever I tried to, my mind was assaulted with images of blood-coated hands, blood-dripping mouth, severed limbs held limply in my grip.

"You _will_ crave blood soon, and you _won't_ be able to deny the thirst," Riana had said.

It was like my nightmares were waiting poised behind my closed lids, standing by for the second I closed my eyes to pounce, assaulting me from any and all angles.

I thought of Edward, I remembered the night he had agreed to our compromise, the way he had stroked my cheek and looked deeply into my eyes.

"Changing you will be the most selfish thing I ever do. Although I will get to keep you, although I will cherish you for eternity, the last thing I ever wanted was to damn your soul…"

In the end I could take no more and quietly slipped out of our room. Riana was fast asleep, snuggled into the sand of our shared cave and curled up under a kelp-weave blanket. A thin stream of bubbles slowly trailed from her mouth up to the ceiling. She looked so peaceful in sleep, the wry bitterness of her daily face wiped clean in slumber.

The colony was surprisingly silent as I swam, both physically and mentally. The hour must have been very early but I found the silence relaxing, it allowed me peace with my own thoughts – a luxury I didn't consciously realise I was lacking until it was presented to me.

Drifting through the tunnels, my thoughts turned to Carlisle; he had believed that killing humans in his newly-changed vampire-state was inevitable. In a brave, altruistic attempt to save the lives of unknown strangers he had removed himself from civilisation, gravitating to the most isolated areas of the world. (Well, you couldn't get more isolated than the middle of the Pacific Ocean.) That idea had potential but it was flawed. Vampires, unlike mermaids, could survive indefinitely, without blood. It wasn't pleasant but they could. Mermaids could not. Riana said I had about a month? That gave me little time for planning.

Carlisle had spotted deer; he had drank from them and survived. He had sated his thirst and lived. If it had worked for a vampire, why couldn't it work for a mermaid?

I wouldn't know until I tried.

Could I manage to do the same? Could I be strong enough? Could I avoid becoming the monster Edward had never wanted me to be?

Most of the planning for my newborn vampire-stage had involved Edwards's aid in teaching me to hunt and control my thirst. Most of our plans had relied on him holding me back before I made any mistakes so grave that I would regret them for eternity.

Well, I didn't have Edward now, and as much as that hurt I had to accept it.

I had to do this alone.

Because enlisting Riana's help in tracking humans to eat was _not_ an option.

I had to do this alone. I _would_ do this alone.

With that resolve, I began to plan. I wasn't craving yet and that was a blessing in itself, so I still had time. Time I would use well.

… 

**Next chapter, some old Forksian characters pop up. Won't say who… :)**

**Thanks for your comments on my (T – M) rate change query. I didn't know whether it would affect anyone or not, but as it may I'll leave it as is. The reason I was thinking of it is due to a few later chapters that are a little bit… bloody. But then, if you're reading vampire fiction, you're going to expect some of that. I'll put warnings up on those chapters, just in case. They shouldn't be too bad though. I've read much worse.**

**Hope you liked the new chapter. Please take time to review :) **


	15. Chapter 15 - Surfacing

**Thank you for reading, and thank you to the reviewers for all of your wonderful messages (whispers: I really didn't know about how the rate change would stop some of you reading, so sorry for the scare). Enjoy the newest instalment, Nemma. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

…

Chapter 15: Surfacing – BPOV

As I had been granted a certain amount of freedom, I began to slip away from the colony more and more often, for longer each time. As long as I returned the others did not worry. After all, their main concern was that I would try to return to my surface-family. They bore no fears that I would try to find an alternative to our natural diet of human blood.

Riana accompanied me sometimes; I was still young, and after what had happened with the shark, she worried. I told her what I was doing of course, it was useless to try and hide it with our telepathic link, and although she scoffed and called it folly, she followed my lead.

"I told you before," she sighed as we swam the open ocean currents, "animal blood just doesn't work for us. So why subject yourself to this?"

"How do you know that it doesn't work?" I queried, genuinely curious.

"It's just… known," she shrugged. "Everyone knows that."

"Has anyone ever tried it?"

Her pause then was longer. "No…" she eventually conceded. "Not that I know of, but someone must have in the past. How else would we know? Anyway, it doesn't matter. Once you've tasted human blood you won't _want_ to try anything else."

I flinched. Her thoughts were diverting down a much darker, bloodier path.

"More reason for me to try this now. If vampires can do it, so can I."

"Well," she said, considering, "I suppose we wouldn't want to be outdone by our land-based brethren. Alright, I'm with you. Let's see what you can do."

And so began our excursions to the coast. We saw no humans and few animals but I hoped that if we found a cove that was secluded enough, we may encounter a herd of caribou grazing by the shore. Once the craving hit, I planned to return and sate the thirst with them – it was what vampires did. But the plan was proving to be difficult. Elk were inland animals and very rarely ventured close to the sea. So some days we would just give up with our search, find a nice sandy bay, and lounge, semi-submerged, in the sun.

"Just like real mermaids," Riana laughed wryly as rays of light glinted off her emerald scales and the water lapped languidly at her waist.

For the most part I had no idea where we were, but the heat told me that we were closer to the equator than Washington; maybe California, or even Mexico. Wherever we were it was isolated.

After a week with little success we decided to venture further north, to colder climes.

"Perhaps there are herds of deer nearer to Washington," Riana prompted.

When I baulked at the idea, worried about how close to my former home we may get while on the brink of blood-thirst, she sighed and simply said, "We won't go _that_ far. We'll just hunt around Oregon's shores, okay?" The idea still sat ill with me. _Too close_, I thought.

Frequently Riana would become bored with our treks, especially during long surveillances, and wander off to hunt on her own as I continued to eye the shorelines. Today was one such day. After a morning of surveying different bays, she had pouted and scoffed.

"That's it. I'm officially bored _out of my mind_. I'm off to track some mackerel."

And with a flick of her powerful tail, she had gone. That was an hour ago. Since then I had found a herd of small deer – roe, I thought – grazing in a forest that bordered a sandy bay. I was just creeping up onto the rocks, seeing how close I could get to a stray female, when the creature's head shot up and her nostrils flared.

_Damn it_, I thought, dismayed. I had gotten so close. _I nearly had her_.

But others froze too, their ears pricking and muscles tensing as they raised their heads to the north, and I began to realise that I wasn't the one who had startled them.

There were voices. Several of them.

"Whatever, Ben," a boyish voice shouted, "But I _am_ right."

Hooves clacked and the herd vanished into the thick canopy of pine trees behind as the crunch of shale signalled the arrival of humans. Heart pounding, I slunk back, hiding in the waves behind a rocky outcrop as another voice answered, just as young as the first.

"Officer Mark wanted us to check further inland though, didn't he?"

"He did," the first voice continued, "and we will. I just don't see the point of not checking out this place first. It wasn't marked on the maps as 'searched'."

With every word, the humans drew a little closer, and on the wind I caught a stray wisp of orange blossom and camomile – from them? Oh, it was sweet, sweeter than-

My hand covered my mouth. What if their scents set me off? What if they triggered the blood-thirst and I couldn't stop myself? Where was Riana? I needed her…

"Hey, be careful," a girl's voice called, further away. "That rock ledge is covered in seaweed. It might be slippy up there. Don't fall into the sea!"

There was a scrabbling noise – of shoes on rock? – and a rain of tiny pebbles cascaded down. Oh God. Was the boy climbing the ledge? If he was I sat, unconcealed, in the surf below. A second before he reached the precipice, I ducked below the frothing tide.

The human boy stood above with a hand shading his eyes, peering far out to sea. He wore thermals and had a boyish face, with dimpled cheeks and fashionably cut blond hair that flopped about his face. Familiarity stung my chest, driving deep like a knife. I knew him.

"Mike," I gasped into the water.

It was Mike Newton. The memory was faint but there. Easy smile, puppy-dog eyes…

"Don't worry about me, Jess," he called back over his shoulder. "Bella went missing on a beach, didn't she? So shouldn't we be checking more places along the shore? I don't know why half of the search parties are looking inland. It just seems odd to me."

"That's not where Charlie's been sending them," another boy answered, and as he scrambled into view beside Mike, I saw another familiar face – Tyler. "Billy Black has been redirecting a lot of the search-teams. But I guess they're in charge, they probably know best."

My heart was beating so loudly beneath the waves that I was surprised they couldn't hear it! Mike, Tyler, Ben, and Jessica… not ten feet away from me – and on the beach behind them it sounded like there were more people – and they were looking for _me_?

My eyes prickled. I hadn't been forgotten. Half of my class was out here searching for me. What about Charlie? And Jake, the Cullens, Edward?!

It was like a meteor strike. In that second memories bombarded me from all angles, and without the smothering influence of my sister's thoughts each was as sharp and acute as a photo – flash after flash after flash. Too bright, too many… I remembered, I remembered them all. I just needed to be reminded… Feeling this new emotional weight that I shouldn't be able to carry, one thing became clear: Mara could never know about this. None of my sisters could know. Not even Riana. If they did, they would smother the memories again.

Above I heard a dull plop. It looked like Tyler and Mike had started to skim stones.

I smiled a little. _Just like when we visited La Push_. The memories came more clearly now.

"Three," Mike grinned.

"No way!" Tyler shouted, "That was four! I got four!"

"Learn to count, Crowley, because that there was three skims."

I wanted to stay badly, so very badly. I wanted to listen and hear about their lives and the lives of others. I wanted to learn about all I had missed. But it wasn't safe. Water may smother their scents. I may not react to them, yet. I may… But I couldn't take that chance.

Sinking lower I dissolved into the grey murk until the surface above was nothing but a vague crystal shimmer, sparkling in the sun. I then turned and flitted into the chilly gloom. Neither of them would have seen me with their dull human eyes, neither would ever know how close they had come to finding me… the thought stung, so much more than it should have.

I would need to get a handle on this, to get control of these impossible emotions, before I found Riana and returned to the colony. With that in mind I spent a good hour swimming in the deeper riptide along the coast until I felt a measure of calm settle into my bones.

_Riana will be wondering where I am… _I eventually realised.

The thought pulled me out of my reverie and I began to make my way back. I wouldn't get close to the beach, I decided. My old friends could still be there and I did not trust myself. But I needed to find my sister, and that was the place we had parted. So I had to head that way.

With our telepathic link, I reached out, scanning for her mind. I reached far, covering the ocean floor and hearing only fish swim and weeds sway and the rhythmic turn of the tides. For a while there was nothing else, nothing tangible, but then, as I drifted further north, I felt it.

It began as just a tenor of thought. Sharp and focussed but unmistakable.

_Riana_, she was not far from me… and she was hunting.

Well, she had said something about wanting mackerel, and she-

I gasped, pulling up short as I watched through her eyes.

Only a thin veil of silky blue water lay between her and her prey, and slowly, ever so slowly, like a lioness on the prowl, she edged closer – a huntress in her prime.

The human leaned precariously over a rocky ledge, peering into the lagoon, and as I watched through Riana's eyes, her beatific face surfaced to greet him. The male had a boyish face, with dimpled cheeks and blond hair that flopped about his face…

"Mike," I gasped, for the second time in one day.

Mike Newton was the one who crouched before Riana, enchanted by her gaze.

And her intent was crystal clear: Blood, she wanted blood.

And she was going to kill him for it.

"Whoa," he mumbled, spellbound and dazed, "you're gorgeous…"

Riana smiled at him sweetly, coyly, and he leant forward, closing the distance between them as if in a trance. On one level it was comical – watching him drool so blatantly over Riana – but on another much more prominent level it was terrifying. Knowing her intentions stoked the sickening lump in my throat. There was no way I could let it happen.

Bracing myself for the wrath of a thousand harpies, I propelled through the water with lightning speed. She was only one beach along from where I had found them earlier. I should have known. I should have guessed at the danger they were in so close to the sea and my kind. This was my fault, mine, but I could flagellate myself with that knowledge later.

Mike's face lay inches from the water's surface now, where Riana's silken lips beckoned. She reached up, intending to cup his cheeks and draw him down…

I grabbed her tail and yanked her beneath the surf.

Riana slashed down with a splutter and a cough. Wide-eyed, she cast around in confusion. Above us, a dumb-founded Mike dreamily mumbled, "Hey… where'd you go…?"

When Riana saw me something snapped, and I watched as dawning realisation flickered and sparked, igniting into white-hot molten fury.

"What the _hell_, Cullen?" she seethed, baring glistening fangs. "That was my dinner!"

"I know him."

"Pfft," she sneered, anger lacing her voice like venom, "I'm sure you know a lot of humans around here, we're in _Washington_. Or hadn't you noticed?"

Blood painted her thoughts red, and the idea of being denied it was _infuriating_. I eyed her sternly, making it clear that I would not allow this, until she threw up her arms.

"Oh, fine! I'll hunt further out. I'll just have to settle for more stinking fish. UGH! I swear, Cullen, if you carry on with this 'no humans' crap any longer I'm going to take a bite out of _you_ next. We'll see if you object as much after that!"

With a viper-like flick of her tail she pushed past me, her emerald scales flashing as she fled into the murk. She thought hunting animals was a waste of time, I knew, but I wished she'd consider the alternative herself, or at the very least not begrudge me for my own choice.

"Mike?" another voice called above, "Mike?"

Through the rippling water I could just about make out Tyler's worried face as he dashed up to Mike, who now leant over the rocks, searching the dark waters desperately.

"Mike? Whoa, what's the matter with you?"

He turned to his friend, eyes dazzled. "I've just seen an Angel…"

"An Angel, huh?" The other boy watched Mike warily. "_Okay_, somebodies had enough to drink." Tyler hauled him off the ground then with an amused smile. "Such a lightweight," he sighed, shaking his head, "only had two, how am I going to explain this to his parents…"

"What's going on?" another voice said, as Tyler towed Mike away from the shore.

A boy I knew vaguely from Forks High School joined the pair and helped Tyler to tow Mike away with a worried frown. I thought his name was Austin.

"Mike's wasted," Tyler chuckled, "dude can't handle his beer, thinks he's seen an Angel."

"She was _sooo_ beautiful," Mike muttered dreamily as he sagged into Tyler's side.

"Err, are you sure he's just been drinking?" Austin laughed, a little nervously, "Sounds like he's high to me."

"Come on, Romeo," Tyler said, "better not let Jess hear you talking like that."

"We have to get him sobered up before we head back," Austin commented. "The Chief will lock us up if he knows we've been drinking while on the search. I think…"

After that their conversation faded until I could no longer make out the words. When they were far enough away I surfaced and peeked over a nearby rock. Further back on the beach a group was gathered around a make-shift camp-fire. They were all covered in woolly hats and coats and gloves as they shivered to keep warm. Had the temperature grown so cold? I barely noticed. Their fire glowed with an oddly bluish hue… I had seen that before, the first time I had come to First Beach. Jacob had shown me… Oh! As I looked around I realised why this area looked so familiar, why my old school-friends were wandering its shores.

This was First Beach. I was at La Push.

I was home!

I was _home_…

That knowledge, as comforting as it would once have been, lanced deep in my gut, sending queasy chills quivering through my stomach and up along my spine.

_Washington_, Riana had said we were in Washington. How had we travelled this far? How had I not realised? …How had Riana? My anger spiked and suddenly I was fuming.

With little thought to propel my flight I dived into the surf, tracking her. It did not take long to find her, not with our speed, and reaching out I grabbed her tail and roughly yanked her to a halt. Twisting around with an enraged hiss, she bared her teeth, but I spoke first.

"I thought you said we'd be hunting further south! You said that we wouldn't hunt anywhere near my home! I could have killed my friends! As it was _you_ nearly did!"

She held up her hands. "Whoa, easy there, tiger-shark," she said, suddenly uneasy, "Mara sent me here, to conduct a little reconnaissance mission, and I thought I may as well kill two birds with one stone and combine it with your hunting trip."

I frowned. "What kind of reconnaissance mission?"

Riana breathed slowly, controlling her temper. "Mara wants to check out these Quileute shape-shifters. She's been thinking about them a lot since she saw them in your thoughts, but she knew about them before that. Mermaids have crossed paths with them in the past and apparently we have some… err… _history_ with the wolves."

This was new. "What kind of history?"

"Well, well, you're all questions today."

"_Riana._"

"Alright, in the past, some mermaids had a run in with the shape-shifters at First Beach. Nothing awful, no blood was spilt, at least not on our side, but she wants to know what kind of threat level they pose… and whether or not we should cordon off this area of the ocean, you know, to restrict human-hunting in this region."

This was a good thing, restricting hunting up here… but the idea left me hollow. No mermaids would be allowed access to the North and Forks. None at all – that meant me too.

It wasn't like I could do anything except watch the people I loved from a distance, so this potential new rule should make no difference for me. In fact, the further away I was, the safer the people of Forks would be. I guess it was the proximity that mattered. The effect was like a drug; now that I knew where we were I was suddenly very anxious _not_ to leave. I wanted to roam, explore the area. The longer I was here the more likely it would be that I would see…

And I clamped the thought tightly shut right there.

This was not healthy – for me _or_ for Riana for that matter.

What would any one member of the pack or coven do if they came across either one of us in the area? The resulting fallout would probably not be pretty. The idea alone should have sent me skittering into the deep; instead it had me surfacing to scan the shore more ardently.

Above seagulls cawed, and the gentle swish of lapping water added to the serenity.

With a small splash, Riana appeared beside me to watch the beach as well. We were further away now, quite far out to sea, but the blue fire still blazed. People crouched around it, one fed it a stick. I scanned further, following the dappled grey shale shore south. No people populated the beaches down there, and at one there was only one lone R.V.

"C'mon, Bella," Riana grasped my hand firmly. I knew she sensed my longing. "There's nothing to see today, looks like the wolves are sleeping. I'm taking you back."

I would have protested but I didn't want to show how badly I wanted to stay here. If left alone, I would idly drift up and down the expanse of the coast, uncaring, simply hoping for one glimpse of wolf-pelt in the bushes or a flash of marble-white amongst the trees. I would haunt these shores like a ghost. Not a good idea. So instead, I allowed Riana to pull me away.

…

Mara made it official when we got back. After speaking with Riana she decided that, instead of the initial caution on which she had debated, we would now _focus_ our activities along the Northern coast. The theory was that the more of us that surveyed the area, the more likely we were to encounter our supernatural targets – These targets were of both the werewolf and vampire kind. Mara wasn't picky; she was interested in news of both.

The one bright spark in the sudden turmoil of my mind was that she had instructed none of us to engage our targets. The moment we spotted one of them we were to either: 1.) Pursue our quarry at a distance if unseen and gather what details we could, or, 2.) If seen, return to the colony immediately and report back our findings.

I didn't know if I'd be able to comply with the second command easily. If I saw anyone I knew I would freeze like a rabbit in head-lights. In situations that involved fight or flight, I was always froze like a popsicle. Logical I know, but who can fight instinct?

"The wolves," Tara clicked, "can you believe it? We might actually get to see them!"

"I know," Fi grinned. "And vampires! Our blood-drinking cousins, I want to see them!"

As my sisters chatted and chirped around me, practically giddy at the prospect of such excitement, one thought became clear to me: Soon I would see the Pack and the Cullens.

And I didn't know if that was a good thing.

…

**The next chapter was one of my favourite to write. Stuff happens! Serious 'Edward and Bella' stuff that's been a while coming… **

**Hope you liked the read. Please take time to review and let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts! :) **


	16. Chapter 16 - Opportunity Calls

**WARNING: This was one of the chapters I wondered about changing the rating for. Blood and violence ahead – it's limited. Likely I'm being paranoid. **

**Note: for those of you confused about Bella's action, you have to remember that at this point she is under the mermaids' mental influence. And it's quite strong. **

**Thanks again for reading, and thank you to all those who took the time to send some wonderful words of encouragement. Enjoy the newest instalment, Nemma. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, but the mermaids and other original points are mine. Please don't take them. **

…

Chapter 16: Opportunity Calls – BPOV

Mara must have sensed my turmoil, because after she delivered her edict – that all of us were to watch the northern coastline for any signs of werewolves or vampires – she immediately assigned me a guard. I was to only travel outside of the colony with Riana and Lilith in tow.

This was a good and a bad thing.

It meant that I could still go on surveillance trips too, but I would be watched. Riana was good company, she had always been, but I found Lilith a little hard to deal with at times. She was cold and cruel in a way only long-term mermaids could be. And she was more interested in hunting humans than Riana was. On our third trip out was when it turned bad.

We had been surveying the coastline along the shores of Washington State looking for werewolves and vampires, a good nine miles from La Push, when Lilith spotted her prey.

"Dinner time," she cooed.

Some unfortunate businessman had a flat tyre on the nearby road. He was middle-aged and wore a grey suit, and he was alone. The situation reminded me uneasily of my own, I had been in almost the same predicament when I had fallen victim to their act. And now the tables had turned and I would be the one leading an unsuspecting passer-by to death at the water's edge. The only difference here was that this male wouldn't live beyond the attack. Lilith would strip his flesh to the bone.

All this I heard in her thoughts and suddenly I felt very sick.

"So," Lilith said, considering me closely, "who's going to play the damsel in distress?"

It wasn't really a question, the way she looked at me said as much.

"The rookie should sit out this round," Riana said, saving me, "let her observe. It is her first blood-hunt after all."

Lilith shrugged, unbothered either way.

"How are we going to play this?" she said, "Will it be the lonely crying girl, the injured damsel, or my personal favourite – the seductive temptress?"

Lilith purred the last three words which made them all the more disturbing. She considered him a while, from a distance, pursing her lips before deciding.

"I think the crying girl. He strikes me as the potential knight-in-shining-armour type."

That only meant that he was a good man! I glanced out from our hidden little alcove of half-submerged rocks and watched him closely. He was younger than I had first thought, with little lines at the corners of his lips that only came from a great deal of smiling. He looked to be a happy person, kind. He could be a brother, a husband, a father…

And Lilith planned to tear him to bloody shreds. Suddenly my eyes stung, prickling uncomfortable.

"Riana," I began.

"Oh, shut her up," Lilith barked, irritated. "If she's going to be a problem take her behind that rock and keep her quiet. I need space to work my magic."

Riana baulked. "I'm not leaving you with the prey or I'll never get my share!"

Their bickering devolved into snapping and snarling. And while their silent battle waged, the man finished fitting the tyre and brushed down his jacket, smearing it with oily black smudges – done. A vicious little spark of – what is it called when you delight in someone else's misfortune? Oh yes – _triumph_ ignited in my chest. The prey was getting away. I was quite happy to say nothing, leaving them oblivious to their loss as they argued.

The start of his engine caught their attention and just as suddenly Lilith _screeched_.

Shock dominated as Riana and I looked to her, and over in his car the man's head snapped up, like a fox to the hunting horn. It only took a second more and he was clambering out of his car frantically looking about. "Hello? …HELLO?!" he called.

_No_, my mind screamed, _no, No, NO!_

Riana yanked me behind the rock and out of sight as Lilith slithered forward, dragging herself onto the sand as if injured. Riana shoved me so hard my head splashed into the tide. Coughing and spluttering from the unexpected submergence, I spun around to spit profanities at her. Or at least that was my intention, when my face found hers she was frantically shushing me. I grumbled inanely, while raking sodden tresses back from my face.

"Oh my God," the man called, "are you alright? …miss?"

The arms that held Lilith up shook and she collapsed, falling onto the gravelly sand. By that point the poor man was already rushing to her side, calling out.

"…miss? …MISS?!"

Lilith had said she needed space to work her magic? Magic was not what I would have called it. It was gruesome to watch, the way she played on his sympathies. She took full advantage of a good-natured man. But what scared me the most was that, while I didn't partake in the hunt or help either of my sisters, I didn't lift a finger to stop it either, knowing well that it was too late. This scenario could only end one-way, with this man's grisly death.

His shiny shoes slipped and slid as he scrambled closer, clumsy in his haste, and as he reached her side he fell to his knees. That was when she looked up, snaring him with her bedazzling predator's gaze. "Oh…" he gasped, so faintly.

In the end I did not watch.

Hiding behind the rocks like a coward, I clamped both hands over my ears to block out the screams. I still heard them. I spent most of my concentration focussing on Riana and blocking out the grizzly telepathy projecting hard and fast at both of us. For the most part it worked, but I still caught some of it. It was inevitable. Most obvious was the sick enjoyment Lilith was experiencing from her victim's pain. _She reminds me of Jane_, I thought.

Riana's eyes glazed over as she watched, the black irises darkening with hunger.

After a long time, Riana finally spoke up.

"Done," she murmured, her eyes never leaving the shore.

Her hands left a set of stinging red welts on my arms; she must have held on hard. Without further ado she swam out from our hiding place and I was left to follow.

The water around Lilith was misted scarlet. And she herself looked like a grinning Carrie on prom night – decorated in red.

"You didn't need to be quite so… brutal." Riana gestured about at the carnage.

"Worried for the newbie's sake?" Lilith sneered.

Blood was painted across half her normally beatific face, showing her as the monster she truly was.

"Hardly," Riana said, "You wasted a lot of blood with your antics."

I had to agree with that, even Lilith's blond hair was stained an eerie magenta. Globs of red congealed within it. I gulped, swallowing bile.

"You look nauseous, Bella," Riana commented, truly puzzled.

It was the smell, among other things… In her thoughts there was nothing but confusion. She knew of my preference for non-human hunting, but she genuinely thought that once I participated in a hunt I would change my mind. She did not understand how I could not.

"I'm fine," I said. "It isn't the first time I've known people to live on blood."

But it _was _the first time I had seen it done. I was never invited along on hunts with the Cullen's. Even if I had been, I doubted that I would have seen anything too traumatising, they were just too quick. Plus, Edward returned from his hunts without so much as a drop of blood to stain his clothing. If Lilith wore clothes there was no doubt they would be drenched.

"But, of course, your vampire is a blood-drinker," Riana remembered.

"Then perhaps _now_ the two of you will be better suited." Lilith's following laugh was low and cruel but eerily beautiful. Riana soon joined her.

It was their nature and I wouldn't hold it against them. They didn't comprehend the love I held for Edward, it was alien to them, as were all emotions. Mara said that mermaids were inherently cruel; they lost the compassionate side of their humanity when they turned.

I wondered why I felt like I still had mine.

"Alright, grubs up." Riana swished her tail, stirring the waters, "C'mon, Bella."

"I'm not hungry," I mumbled, and my voice was oddly tinny and thin.

"Lightweight," Lilith spat nastily, "More for us."

The one mercy they gave me was the quick removal of the body. They hauled the corpse away between them and their thoughts told me that they planned to feast in the next bay, away from the grubby killing site.

"Hey, Lil," Riana said cheerfully as they towed the remains away. "We're supposed to take some of this back to the Colony, you know. Don't go and pig-out."

"Pig-out!" Lilith objected. "I'm not the one who ate a whole shoal of herring at lunch!"

Their bickering voices trailed away into the distance as I remained rooted to the spot, balancing on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I felt it important that I make no sudden moves; if I did I would either vomit or collapse into inconsolable sobs. Neither option was viable. There was no one to comfort me, no way to rectify the situation… and if either of the heartless sea-devils splashing in the next bay heard my train of thought I'd receive a sharp slap. Lilith already thought I was weak and I had the very distinct feeling that Riana was only one step behind her in that assumption. Her patience was reaching its limit.

In the animal kingdom, any animal with a perceived weakness was targeted and destroyed; even by members of said animal's own kind. And we were nothing if not animals – Predatory pack animals. I had to hold it together. I had to be stronger than this if I was to survive this hellish life, if I was going to make my way back to Edward. However dim that future seemed now, it was still the one I held onto, the one shining light on my horizon.

I skirted away from the scarlet pool and slowly made my way up to the rocky shore, where I carefully pulled myself into the shallows and sat in the sand. Lilith had made a mess. There wasn't much now on the beach, but what remained left little to the imagination. It wasn't hard to picture a truly horrific attack to match this scene. Bloody clods of sand spread out in all directions, the red seeping out further than I thought possible. Scraps of clothing, a shredded tie, even one of the poor man's shoes…

Lilith was destructive. The epitome of cruelty; a truly…

Wait, was that…? Oh!

A phone.

Just above the tideline it lay on the sand. I stared at the innocuous, black device for a long moment, possibilities I should never even consider forming in my mind.

_What if I dialled?_

_Just to see if he was okay…_

_What harm could it do?_

None

_It's not like I could have a conversation_, I told myself. Even if I could talk I wasn't sure if I could form words, but maybe I didn't have to. Just hearing _them_ talk would be enough.

One call…

A very real fear had been circling in the back of my mind since the day I was taken, a fear that I couldn't give full attention to for its crippling possibility. Muted mermaid emotions aside there was one sure thing that would lead to my total and utter ruin – Edward's destruction. I had been gone a long time now, with no word. I couldn't be sure how long precisely but long enough… to be considered dead. It was a hard truth but I had to admit it, then I had to go one step further. I knew very well what my death would mean for him, and exactly what he would do. One plane ticket to Italy would be all he wanted after that.

Cringing, I tried to push those thoughts aside, but they had already taken root. There was no way I could know if he'd already done it of course, but in my heart I hoped I would know somehow, someway. There was the added advantage of him being in close quarters to Alice this time; who would see him decide – and his brothers; who would restrain him. Or so I hoped. Everything I had balanced on blind hope and assumptions.

I had to be sure.

Checking the coast was clear, I scanned around. No one was in sight and I could hear Riana and Lilith cackling in the distance. If I was going to do this it had to be now. I wouldn't have long before they would swim back to check on me.

Without allowing myself further thought I reached out and snatched the satellite phone. It was sleek, black and quite new in design, so new that it took a while to work out how to use it – not being a technologically savvy being. It was getting wet too and slipped in my grip like a bar of soap. I worried that it was one of those phones that relied on temperature to work the touch-screen… my fingers were freezing, _and_ trembling.

Luckily, by the mercy of some fate or other, the phone co-operated, and after three tries I managed to type in the number I had revised by heart.

My finger trembled for an indeterminate second over the call icon. My thoughts were a tangled, frightened mess. Something in them warned against this, urged me not to – but the notion felt foreign. I shook my head to clear it. I didn't really know what I was doing, I just wanted to hear a familiar voice, _any _voice, it didn't matter whose. Actually I was lying, it did matter. I knew whose voice I wanted to hear, but I didn't want to think too long on that and face the crushing disappointment that could accompany this impulsive act.

My eyes squeezed shut as my finger jabbed forward.

I almost dropped the phone into the sea in fright. I hadn't consciously commanded my finger to move. _Best set the phone down then_, a safe distance from my unstable grip. Shaking, I placed it on the rocks beside me.

I waited anxiously as it rang, perching my arms up on the rock edge and listening.

_Should it take this long? How many rings was that?_

Around me the tide swished and ebbed and I twisted my fingers as someone picked up the other end of the line. I leaned forward with bated breath.

"Cullen Residence," they said.

Carlisle

I could have sobbed. Somehow, I retained my composure with a strangled grimace.

"Hello?" he continued and paused.

It was unbelievably calming to hear his voice, a balm to my frayed nerves. I smiled sadly to myself. It was a comfort and a discomfort at once. An odd strain pulled at my heart.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

I didn't know what to do, so I just leaned my face against the cool rock beside the phone and listened to his voice. _Might as well enjoy the moment_… I vaguely realised that this may be slightly strange, possibly stalkerish behaviour – calling someone and not responding, just breathing at the other end of the line – and I vaguely realised that I just didn't care.

"Hello?"

I knew he probably wouldn't speak much longer, gaining no response he would soon hang up, but he surprised me.

"I can hear background noise. Who's there?"

He didn't sound annoyed just polite. That was Carlisle, always polite.

His next tentative words made me jump, "…Bella? Isabella, is that y-"

Cut short, static buzzed, and another voice replaced his. "Bella!?" Edward's voice was almost angry but the undertone said it all: he was very upset, and desperate.

_Edward. Fine. No. Italy. Here. Now_.

Words, apparently only the key ones, plummeted through me on a landslide, gaining momentum and strength. The knowledge that he was in Forks, now, with his family, that he was _okay_, left me shaking with relief. And Mara said that mermaids didn't feel!

I ran shaking hands through my hair, gripping it in an attempt not to sob. I did take one shaky breath, attempting to calm myself.

"Bella, I can hear you. Are you hurt? Where are you?"

That made me frown – _He could hear me?_ I hadn't said a word.

I sighed, remembering exactly that – I _couldn't_ say a word. Even if I tried to get a message to him I could not speak. Paper disintegrated in water, and tide washed sand clean.

"I know that sigh, Bella, believe me," he said with a strained laugh. "I could recognise it in a crowded room."

I still couldn't say a word above water. I could _shriek_, but shrieks really didn't count as words. And I was quite sure that that would alarm him rather than alleviate his fears.

After a pause, he tried more tentatively, "_Can_ you speak?"

I almost laughed. _Well, how was I supposed to answer that if the answer was 'No'?_ Still, his perceptiveness was unerringly accurate.

"…Okay, let's try something… I'll ask a question, you tap once for yes and twice for no. Do you understand?"

I paused uncertainly. Maybe I should just hang-up. I hadn't confirmed who I was after all, I still had a window of escape, one that every fibre of my being screamed against using.

_No good can come of this_, a voice in my mind whispered – it sounded like Mara's.

What had I been thinking? That's right, I _hadn't_ been thinking. I was still refusing to think about how this would affect everyone. But I was being selfish, as mermaids were inclined to be, and not wanting to give up my newly acquired lifeline, I complied.

Glancing around, I retrieved a fist-sized rock and hit it lightly against the side. Not _too_ close to the phone. I didn't trust my klutziness in close proximity to sensitive devices.

The crack it made echoed loudly and I flinched, glancing around. No one was watching, and I could still hear the others playing in the next cove. It sounded like they were in the midst of a splash war. Still, my anxiety was soaring at a whole new level right now.

The relief in Edward's sigh was audible and I could imagine the crooked smile that would grace his face as he ran fingers through tangled bronze hair.

"Okay, just to be sure. Are your eyes blue?"

I rolled my eyes and knocked twice. No.

There was more than one gasp of relief over the line. A captive audience listened on the other end. I smiled as I heard them chatter excitedly, I wanted to join their jubilation.

"Where are you?" Edward sounded frantic now… but that wasn't a yes or no question. This was going to be a very one-sided conversation.

I briefly regretted the fact that I hadn't taken the opportunity to learn Morse-code while I had the chance. I wasn't even sure how to do S-O-S.

"I hear water," a voice added in the background, it sounded like Jasper's.

Becoming more excited than I should have let myself be, I banged the rock once again.

"Yes! That's a Yes!" Alice trilled and I wanted to laugh but didn't know how to without frightening them.

_Worrying about scaring vampires, what has my life come to? _

"Are you trapped somewhere?" Edward asked.

We were heading into trickier territory now; still, I tapped the rock twice.

"That's a no. Jasper?" Carlisle said. It sounded like an inquiry

"Already tracking the number, Carlisle."

That made me start; they could be here in a matter of minutes. The first dregs of despair started to surface. I couldn't be here when they found this phone… could I?

"So, water," Edward continued. "That sounds like seagulls… and waves, you're along the coast." It wasn't a question, but I knocked the rock obligingly again. _Yes_.

It sounded like he cursed, and muttered, "The one day I leave the bay unguarded…" Louder, he said, "Are you near the place where you went missing?"

I wasn't too sure, but even if I was I knew he'd be out the door the instant I answered. So I didn't. There was silence on both ends of the line.

I thought I heard a mumbled, "Keep her talking."

"Bella? …Are you hurt?"

I wasn't exactly okay, but I wasn't wounded. Knowing I couldn't leave _that_ question unanswered I knocked once, then again, in a way I hope conveyed uncertainty.

There was muttering away from the phone that I could not discern.

Edward soon came back, "What's happened? You were attacked."

Again, not a question – One knock, a yes.

He paused, audibly steeling himself, "Vampire?"

Two quick knocks, no.

"Human?"

Two knocks. Everyone was suddenly silent, stonily silent.

Edwards's voice was a menacing growl, "I'm going to kill those Wolves."

"That makes sense," Alice said, "Since I can't see her."

"I should have known."

"We can't be sure, Edward," Carlisle implored.

"Who else could it be, Carlisle? Not Vampire, not human… the Wolves are the only ones left-"

They started to argue.

"The treaty! They wouldn't-" Esme objected, "Jacob would never allow it-"

"I'm not so sure he wouldn't just-"

"Sam wouldn't have given the order," Jasper said.

"Or Seth," Emmett added. "Think of that little guy, he likes Edward and Bella!"

"But why would they?" Carlisle asked. "What provocation?"

Edward scoffed. "Do you really need to ask?"

"Wouldn't you have heard it in their thoughts, though, Edward? Surely-"

After a time, I couldn't distinguish one voice from another. They blurred together and I panicked – _they were blaming the wolves_. The wolves had nothing to do with this!

I frantically banged my rock but no one seemed to pay attention.

"QUIET," Carlisle shouted.

I was so shocked I went quiet too. I'd never heard him shout before. It was the closest I had ever heard him to sounding like a real vampire, and it was frightening.

"Bella?" Esme tentatively ventured.

One knock. Yes.

"Did the wolves hurt you?"

Two knocks. No.

"Are the wolves involved in this in any way?"

Two knocks.

"No humans, vampires or werewolves. What's that supposed to mean?" Emmett didn't sound amused for once.

"Got it," I heard Jasper say in the background. "She's on the coast, along the I101, just north of the Kalaloch Campground."

"Bella, I'm coming to get you right now. Stay there." Edward sounded so desperate.

Before I could even think of answering, Riana shrieked my name from the next cove, and while all I heard was 'Bella?' what everyone else heard was an unearthly screech.

"What the Hell was that?" Emmett deadpanned.

I banged the rock twice, trying to convey my need for them to _stay away_. Then flipped the phone shut to stop the call and dropped it onto the sand.

I stared at it for a full minute, shakily pressing fingers to my ice-cold lips. _Shock_, I tried to gather my thoughts together, _I'm in shock_… _What have I just done?_

"Bella, are you okay?" Riana's whine was quieter now, more tentative as she flitted up before me. "I know that must have seemed barbaric, Lilith sometimes gets carried away and I didn't think to-"

She moved closer and spotted the phone before I could think to hide it.

She stared at it, her features a blank slate, wiped clean. What was she thinking right now? I looked back at the phone in a weak attempt to hide my rising guilt. The phone lay lifeless; it appeared so inanimate and innocent, much like the snake that had originally offered Eve the apple in the Garden of Eden. Temptation was a hard thing to live with.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, with surprising empathy, "I've thought about it myself in the past… but don't ring. It won't end well, for anyone."

Stunned, I turned to regard her. She looked so… regretful. In that moment I realised that she was not as callous as she pretended to be, the cruelty was a façade. Perhaps I was not the only one to cling to my human sensibilities.

"Come on." She reached out a hand to me. "I think it is best we head home."

_Home_… home is where the heart is. But where did my heart lie? It felt torn, pulled in two directions.

"Bella…" she prompted, brow crumpling.

_Should I stay, or should I go? Stay, go, stay, go… _

As I stared, Riana's hand never wavered in front of me, an open invite. I glanced back once at the phone. How long would it take him to run? Not long, I knew. Edward was _fast_.

_Stay or go… stay… or go…_

… 

**Just a couple of points before we continue:**

**1.) I tried and failed to update earlier. This was due to a number of factors; one of them was the publication of my prize-winning story (mini-squeal). You might have seen the news note on my profile. It's now free to read online. **

**2.) Okay, so some people have asked for this story to be longer, some shorter. And some people have started to give me flack about how it's written. In regards to the messages about how Edward and Bella should not be parted for so long, I'd like to point out that in some fics they are parted for up to 30 chapters! For most of NM they were separate. Sometimes things don't flow so easily for characters and I wouldn't like to fail them by making it so. And as for the romance, be patient, it's there… you just have to wait for Edward to catch up. He's kind of pivotal for that. As for the rest, the story is what it is, if you don't like it, you don't **_**have**_** to read it. **

…

**Moving on… **

**R&R people! :) **


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